THE  BIRTH  OF 
MORMON  ISM 

JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS 


UBRARY  OF  RELIGIOUS  THOUGHT 


THE  BIRTH  OF 
MORMONISM 


BY 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  D.  D. 


|fjgAimetvCTri>jTiPi 


BOSTON:  THE  GORHAM  PRESS 

TORONTO:      THE    COPP    CLARK    CO.,    LIMITED 


Copyright,   1916,   by  John  Quincy  Adams 


All    Rights    Reserved 


Thb  Gorham  Prbbs.  Boston,  U.  S.  A. 


MADE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


Bancroft  Library 


PREFACE 

T  T  is  not  necessary  to  burden  the  reader 
with  a  history  of  how  this  book  came  to 
be  written.  Its  genesis  was  a  paper  pre- 
pared as  a  contribution  to  local  history. 
It  has  grown  with  the  years ;  it  has  made  use  of 
sources  not  ordinarily  accessible  and  possibly 
no  longer  in  existence;  and  it  is  believed  that 
it  presents  more  completely  the  story  of  the 
birth  of  Mormonism  than  any  publication  now 
in  print.  It  is  sent  forth  with  the  hope  that 
it  will  help  to  arouse  the  American  people  to 
endeavor  more  energetically  to  remove  this 
moral  menace  to  and  blot  upon  our  country — 
the  greatest  religious  fraud  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  if  not  of  all  time. 

John  Quincy  Adams. 
Auburn,  New  York,  191 6. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I.  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  His  Golden 
Hates 9 

II.  The  Translation 27 

III.  The    Publication    of    the    Book    of 

Mormon   41 

IV.  The  Organization  of  the  Church.  .  .53 

V.  The  Witnesses    61 

VI.  The  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  Doc- 
trines and  Covenants 73 

Appendices 87 


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The   Birth  of  Mormonism 

CHAPTER  I 

Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  His  Golden 
Plates 

T  T  is  perhaps  necessary  to  remind  our- 
selves that  the  closing  years  of  the  eigh- 
teenth and  the  first  third,  or  more  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  furnished  fruitful  soil 
for  religious  cranks  and  hobbies  and  isms. 
Possibly  no  period  in  modern  history  has  wit- 
nessed a  more  luxuriant  growth  of  such 
products.  Morality  and  religion  were  at  a 
low  ebb,  or  at  least  the  latter  was  chiefly  for 
fightings  within  if  not  without;  for  vagaries^ 
divisions,  sensations,  physical  and  emotional, 
almost  without  number;  for  "the  falling," 
''the  jerking,"  "the  rolling,"  and  "the  danc- 
9 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

ing,"  exercises  to  the  glory  of  God;  for 
"Pilgrims"  (1817),  who  were  led  by  an  in- 
spired prophet,  and  who  made  of  raggedness 
and  uncleanness  a  virtue,  wearing  their  clothes 
unchanged  as  long  as  they  would  hold  togeth- 
er; for  Dylkes,  "the  Leatherwood  God" 
(1828),  who  at  an  Ohio  camp  meeting,  an- 
nounced himself  as  the  professed  Messiah; 
for  Jemimah  Wilkinson,  "the  Universal 
Friend;"  for  William  Miller  and  the  end  of 
the  world,  with  proper  ascension  robes,  and 
for  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  the  Mormon 
Bible.  This  is  not  a  complete  catalogue  of 
such  movements  during  these  years,  and  from 
such  sowing  we  are  still  reaping  a  harvest. 

Of  course  this  religious  ferment  had  in  jt 
good  as  well  as  evil,  but  when  we  are  tempted 
to  sigh  for  "the  good  old  days"  of  our  fath- 
ers, we  would  do  well  to  quit  sighing  and  read 
some  history.  It  is  thought  by  many  now  that 
the  early  settlement  of  this  part  of  the 
"West,"  (Western  and  Central  New  York) 
10 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONlSM 

consisted  only  of  God-fearing,  man-loving 
men  and  women,  with  children  just  ripe  for 
the  Sunday  School  book,  and  that  in  these 
ways  they  are  in  contrast  with  the  settlers  of 
the  West  of  these  degenerate  days.  But  if 
contemporary  chronicles  are  to  be  beheved, 
while  "grace  abounded"  sin  "did  much  more 
abound."  Mormonism  was,  therefore,  plant- 
ed in  fertile  soil.  The  climate  was  favorable 
to  its  growth.  The  people  delighted  in  hum- 
buggery,  and  Joseph  Smith  is  one  of  the  high- 
priests  of  the  art. 

"The  First  Church  of  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints"  was  organized  April  6,  1830,  at 
the  house  of  Peter  Whitmer,  Fayette,  Seneca 
County,  N.  Y.,  with  six  members.  In  the 
history  of  Mormonism  this  is  its  official  birth- 
day, corresponding  to  the  Day  of  Pentecost 
in  the  Christian  Church.  Mormon  historians 
describe  the  events  of  this  day  in  glowing 
language.     Orson  Pratt  subsequently  figured 

out  that  it  was  just  eighteen  hundred  years  to 
II 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

a  day  since  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ. 
We  shall  find  very  often  that  Mormon  Apos- 
tles, Priests  and  Prophets  are  surprisingly 
accurate  in  such  matters! 

Like  Pentecost  this  day  does  not  dawn  with- 
out a  long  process  of  preparation.  We  are 
here  largely  concerned  with  this  preparatory 
work.  In  the  first  place  we  shall  tell  the  life 
story  of  some  of  those  who  laid  the  founda- 
tions and  are  responsible  for  the  beginnings 
of  what  has  proved  to  be  the  most  virile  new 
religion  which  the  fertile  nineteenth  century 
produced.  Then  we  shall  consider  its  sacred 
books,  their  character  and  origin.  We  begin, 
therefore,  with  "the  Prophet,  Seer  and  Reve- 
lator,"  the  first  President  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr. 

Sharon,  Vt.,  has  the  honor  of  being  the 

place,  December  23,   1805,  the  date,  where 

and  when  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  first  saw  the 

light.    Cannon  says :    "His  parents  were  toil- 

12 


The:  birth  of  mormonism 

ers,  their  characters  were  godly,  and  their 
names  unstained."  Well  known  facts,  how- 
ever, scarcely  sustain  so  favorable  a  judgment. 
Both  parents  were  of  Scotch  descent.  His 
father  was  ignorant,  lazy,  of  not  much  ac- 
count— certainly  not  eminent  for  godliness, 
nor  yet  very  bad.  Like  his  illustrious  son, 
the  future  "patriarch"  of  the  Church  was 
engaged  in  hunting  for  Captain  Kidd's  money 
— certainly  not  an  immoral  occupation — and 
was  also  charged,  in  company  with  Jack 
Downing,  with  making  counterfeit  money,  but 
turned  State's  evidence  and  thus  escaped  pun- 
ishment. Joe's  mother,  whom  the  prophet 
resembled,  had  more  native  wit  and  shrewd- 
ness than  her  husband,  which  stood  her  in 
place  of  "schooling."  She  was  given  to  rev- 
eries and  fortune  telling,  was  possibly  a  fana- 
tic rather  than  a  fraud,  but  was  a  good  teacher 
for  her  son.  Joseph  was  the  fourth  of  nine 
children,  and  his  mother  early  decided,  prob- 
ably in  view  of  his  mental  ability  to  deceive 
13 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

in  which  he  resembled  her,  that  he  was  des- 
tined for  a  distinguished  career  as  a  prophet, 
magician,  fortune  teller,  discoverer  of  springs 
of  water  or  gold  mines,  or  some  other  equally 
honorable  and  lucrative  occupation. 

In  1816,  the  family  removed  to  Palmyra, 
N.  Y.,  and  two  years  and  a  half  later  to  the 
town  of  Manchester.  Here  they  squatted  on 
a  small  farm,  built  a  two-roomed  log  house, 
and  lived  until  their  fortunes  were  improved 
by  the  new  religion,  and  they  departed  for 
Kirtland,  Ohio.  The  universal  testimony  of 
those  who  knew  them  at  this  time  is  that  the 
family  were  a  lazy,  illiterate,  drinking,  shift- 
less, good-for-nothing  lot,  having  no  regular 
occupation,  doing  everything  by  turns,  and 
«  nothing  long,  and  living  largely  off  their 
neighbors,  while  Joe,  whose  besetting  sin  then, 
as  later,  was  lying,  was  considered  the  most 
worthless  of  them  all.  When  he  learned  to 
read  nobody  knows.  His  favorite  poetry  was 
the  thrilling  stanza : 

14 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

"My  name  was  Captain  Kidd, 

As  I  sailed,  as  I  sailed; 
And  most  wickedly  I  did, 

God's  laws  I  did  forbid, 
As  I  sailed,  as  I  sailed." 

If  uniform  tradition  is  to  be  believed,  he 
was  also  an  adept  in  robbing  orchards  and  hen 
roosts,  when  the  needs  of  the  family  required 
it — Joe  was  always  kind  to  his  family — and 
was  very  averse  to  any  muscular  exercise. 
Cunning  apparently  served  him  a  better  pur- 
pose than  muscle.  Tucker  describes  him  as 
noted  chiefly  "for  his  indolent  and  vagabond- 
ish  character  and  his  habits  of  exaggeration 
and  untruthfulness.  .  .  .  He  could  utter 
the  most  palpable  exaggeration  or  marvellous 
absurdity  with  the  utmost  apparent  gravity." 
He  was  the  pride  of  his  father,  "who  has 
been  heard  to  boast  of  him  as  the  *genus  of 
the  family,*  quoting  his  own  expression." 
Whether  this  title  was  bestowed  because  of 
15 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

his  prophetic  gifts,  or  because  he,  more  fre- 
quently than  the  other  members,  supplied  the 
family  table  with  the  necessary  things  for  this 
life,  our  sources  do  not  tell.  He  assumed  the 
prophetic  roll  quite  early,  and  gave,  as  most 
later  prophets  do,  oracular  expositions  of  the 
book  of  The  Revelation.  Receiving  his  moth- 
er's approval,  he  secured  a  divining  rod  and 
went  into  business.  He  also  made  much  use 
of  the  "Palmyra  seer  stone,"  or  '*peek  stone,'* 
said  to  have  been  shaped  like  a  child's  foot, 
and  to  have  been  found,  in  fulfillment  of 
Joe's  prophecy,  in  digging  a  well  on  the 
premises  of  Mr.  Chase  in  1820.  Certain  pro- 
fane authorities  assert  that  neither  the  story 
about  the  find  nor  shape  of  the  stone  is  true. 
Like  the  golden  plates  it  long  since  disappear- 
ed from  mortal  sight.  Thus  was  Joe  qualified 
and  trained  for  his  future  work.  * 

During  these  years  the  Smiths  made  eager 
search  for  hidden  wealth.     Acres  of  ground 

near  Palmyra,  and  elsewhere,  were  dug  over, 
16 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

the  other  fellows  as  a  rule  doing  the  digging. 
Midnight,  with  a  full  moon  was  the  most 
desirable  time.  Again  and  again  they  were 
on  the  verge  of  some  great  discovery,  but  un- 
fortunately the  diggers  would  harbor  some 
impure  thought,  or  speak  a  word,  and  at  once 
the  box  of  gold  would  sink  into  the  ground 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  spade,  or  be  spirited 
away  by  angel  or  demon,  whither  only  Joe 
knew.  But  no  failure  discouraged  Joe,  and 
no  tale  invented  by  him  was  too  improbable 
to  find  believers.  But  under  such  discipline 
his  prophetic  powers  were  growing  far  be- 
yond the  original  claims.  These  were  the 
years  described  by  Joe  in  his  autobiography 
when  he  was  'displaying  the  corruption  of 
human  nature,*  one  of  the  few  perfectly  ac- 
curate statements  ever  made  by  the  prophet. 
Joseph^s  wanderings  often  kept  him 
away  from  home  for  months,  and  took  him 
to  various  places  in  this  State  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. An  interesting  record  of  one  of  these 
17 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

visits  was  unearthed  a  few  years  ago  by 
Bishop  D.  S.  Tuttle  in  the  records  of  a  jus- 
tice's court  in  Bainbridge,  Chenango  County. 
The  story  is  told  and  documents  quoted  in 
the  article  on  Mormonism  in  the  Schaff-Her- 
zog  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge. 

On  these  journeys,  it  is  probable  that  Smith 
met  some  of  those  with  whom  he  was  later  to 
be  intimately  associated,  among  them  Sidney 
Rigdon  and  Parley  P.  Pratt,  both  of  them 
better  educated  than  Smith  but  in  many  ways 
kindred  spirits. 

In  order  not  to  interrupt  the  story  of  the 
discovery  of  the  plates  we  anticipate  here  a 
little  and  say  that  Smith  was  married  to  Emma 
Hale,  of  Harmony,  Pa.,  the  daughter  of  re- 
spectable people  who  were  much  opposed  to 
the  match,  January  i8,  1827.  The  couple  ran 
away  and  were  married  at  Windsor,  N.  Y. 
Hale  was  very  angry  and  threatened  to  shoot 
his  son-in-law,  but  after  a  little  was  reconciled 

and  made  the  best  of  it.     In  the  years  that 
18 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

followed  the  Smiths  spent  considerable  time  in 
Harmony  at  the  Hale  home. 

In  1 82 1,  while  Joe  was  in  Palmyra,  there 
was  an  extensive  revival  of  religion  in  the 
town,  and  several  of  the  Smith  family  pro- 
fessed conversion.  At  this  time,  Joe  gave 
himself  up  to  prayer,  so  he  said,  for  many 
days,  'agonizing'  to  know  the  truth.  Sudden- 
ly his  chamber  was  illuminated  and  an  angel 
appeared  and  told  him  that  there  was  no  true 
Church  on  earth.  It  is  easy  to  prophesy  now. 
The  angel  assured  him  that  his  prayers  were 
heard,  and  'he  was  the  dearly  beloved  of  the 
Lord,  and  should  be  commissioned  a  priest 
after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  organizing  a 
church  of  faithful  persons  in  that  line  to  re- 
ceive the  Lord  in  the  Millennium.'  In  a 
second  visit  he  was  further  told  'that  the  truth 
should  spring  out  of  the  earth;'  and  then,  or 
at  a  later  time,  that  the  earth  was  the  hill 
Cumorah,  near  his  home.  Here  he  would 
receive  the  holy  and  prophetic  records  which 
19 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

would  complete  and  supplement  the  Christian 
Scriptures  and  enable  him  to  establish  the 
true  church  on  the  earth.  This  in  brief  sums 
up  a  long  story  as  told  by  Joe  and  later 
Mormon  authorities.  Minute  descriptions 
are  given  of  Joe's  spiritual  experiences,  his 
distress  of  mind,  and  his  visions,  which  do  not 
tally  with  the  unanimous  testimony  of  written 
documents  and  the  sworn  statements  of  those 
who  knew  him  and  his  doings  well.  A  decent 
reverence  for  the  holy  God  ought  to  forbid 
the  repetition  of  these  stories,  such,  as  for 
example,  that  the  Father  appeared  in  human 
form  and  introduced  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
to  Joseph  Smith.  But  reverence  has  never 
been  a  Mormon  characteristic. 

It  is  well  for  us  to  remember  also  that  the 
story  of  these  experiences  and  of  the  great 
discovery  was  not  written  before  1838,  when 
it  was  prepared  under  the  direction  of  Sidney 
Rigdon,  or  by  him.  Others  say  positively  that 
the  story  was  revised  from  time  to  time,  ai- 
20 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

ways  gaining  in  its  miraculous  and  mysterious 
character.  In  fact  the  story  of  these  years  as 
told  by  "Ma  Smith,"  the  Prophet,  and  others 
who  knew  of  them,  varies  in  so  many  par- 
ticulars, that  it  is  difficult  to  determine  what 
was  the  original  statement,  if  there  was  an 
original  one.  The  version  given  here  is  as 
correct  probably  as  any  of  them. 

In  1823,  within  twenty-four  hours,  Moroni 
appeared  four  times  to  Joe,  repeating  the 
same  message,  telling  him  of  the  golden 
plates,  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  and  of 
his  own  prophetic  career.  There  was  a  sur- 
plus of  revelations,  as  was  the  case  later  in 
his  life,  and,  if  he  had  not  been  murdered, 
this  fact  alone  would  have  wrecked  the  whole 
organization.  Smith  was  also  told  that  he 
must  wait  four  years  for  the  great  disclosures, 
and  this  is  supposed  to  be  his  testing  time. 

At  length,  in  1826,  Joseph  was  in  Palmyra 
and  ready  for  his  great  work.  The  "golden 
plates"  were  definitely  located,  by  revelation 
21 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

of  course,  in  a  strong  box  in  a  hill  on  property 
afterwards  owned  for  many  years  by  the 
family  of  Admiral  Sampson.  No  one  could 
look  upon  these  plates  and  live,  unless  it  was 
Joe.  Even  he,  once,  in  digging  for  the  box, 
received  a  violent  but  invisible  blow  from 
Satan,  who  charged  him  with  avarice  and  am- 
bition (one  of  the  few  natural  touches  in  the 
story),  and  prevented  him  from  securing  the 
box.  But  Moroni  soon  after  assured  him  of 
forgiveness  and  that  he  was  surely  chosen  for 
this  great  work.  Joe's  stories  about  these 
appearances  do  not  always  agree,  but  of 
course  a  prophet  can  afford  to  be  inconsistent 
in  such  small  matters. 

September  22,  1827,  is  a  memorable  day 
in  this  history.  In  the  midst  of  a  thunder- 
storm, some  of  our  authorities  say,  Moroni 
came  out  of  the  hill  with  the  box  for  the 
prophet.  Praying  "that  he  might  prove  faith- 
ful to  his  trust,"  Joseph  removed  the  cover 
and  took  from  their  hiding  place  the  olden 
22 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

and  golden  treasures.  Some  appropriate 
counsel  was  given  to  the  prophet  by  the  angel 
as  to  his  new  responsibilities  and  his  duty  to 
guard  the  treasure,  and  then  "Moroni  dis- 
appeared, and  the  Prophet  of  the  New  Dis- 
pensation stood  alone  upon  Cumorah,  clasp- 
ing to  his  bosom  priceless  trust."  (A  Brief 
History,  page  25.) 

Joe  immediately  started  with  the  box  for 
his  cabin,  but,  according  to  Mormon  authori- 
ties, he  had  a  hard  time  reaching  it.  "No 
sooner  had  he  begun  his  homeward  journey 
than  he  was  assaulted  by  evil  persons  who 
sought  his  destruction."  (Ibid) .  Three  times 
unknown  men  attacked  him.  He  reached 
home,  however,  with  his  precious  charge  un- 
harmed, though  he  himself  was  somewhat 
bruised — at  least  so  the  later  accounts  assert. 
This  persecution  continued  for  some  time 
after  so  that  Joe  was  obliged  to  go  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  was  followed  by  his  malig- 
nant enemies. 

^3 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

"Despite  the  attractive  ingenuity  of  these 
stories,"  says  Kennedy,  "there  is  substantial 
grounds  for  the  belief  that  the  whole  fabrica- 
tion of  the  golden  plates  grew  out  of  an  im- 
promptu jest  on  the  part  of  young  Smith, 
which  was  received  in  such  earnest  that  his 
subtle  cunning  saw  in  it  a  new  way  to  dis- 
tinction and  possible  gain.  The  story  is  told 
plainly  and  fully  by  Peter  Ingersol,  a  near 
neighbor  to  the  Smiths,  and  at  that  time  one 
of  Joseph's  most  intimate  friends.  He  de- 
clares that  one  day  the  future  prophet  of 
Mormonism  called  upon  him,  and  that  his 
countenance  and  manner  betrayed  evident  en- 
joyment of  some  hidden  jest.  Upon  being 
questioned,  he  made  the  following  statement: 
'As  I  was  passing  yesterday  across  the  woods, 
after  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  I  found  in  a 
hollow  some  beautiful  white  sand  that  had 
been  washed  up  by  the  water.  I  took  off  my 
frock  and  tied  up  several  quarts  of  it  and 
then  went  home.  On  my  entering  the  house, 
24 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

I  found  the  family  at  the  table  eating  dinner. 
They  were  all  anxious  to  know  the  contents  of 
my  frock.  At  that  moment  I  happened  to 
think  of  what  I  had  heard  about  a  history 
found  in  Canada,  called  the  Golden  Bible.  To 
my  surprise,  they  were  credulous  enough  to 
beheve  what  I  said.  Accordingly,  I  told  them 
that  I  had  received  a  commandment  to  let 
no  one  see  it;  for,  says  I,  no  man  can  see  it 
with  the  naked  eye  and  live.  However,  I 
offered  to  take  out  the  book  and  show  it  to 
them,  but  they  refused  to  see  it,  and  left  the 
room.  Now,  said  Joe,  I  have  got  the  d — d 
fools  fixed,  and  will  carry  out  the  fun.'  " 
(Early  Days  of  Mormonism,  page  28-29.) 

In  view  of  certain  well-known  family  traits, 
the  above  version,  language  and  all,  has  a  re- 
markable air  of  veri-similitude. 

Inside  the  box  Joe  said  he  found  **the  Urim 
and  the  Thummim,"  consisting  of  two  trans- 
parent stones,  clear  as  crystal,  set  in  silver  rims, 
which  were  to  be  used  as  instruments  with 
25 


The  birth  OP  MORMOnism 

which  to  translate  the  text.  The  golden  plates 
are  thus  described:  "They  had  the  appear- 
ance of  gold.  They  were  about  seven  inches 
wide  by  eight  long,  and  their  thickness  was 
not  quite  that  of  an  ordinary  sheet  of  tin. 
Egyptian  characters  were  engraved  on  both 
sides  of  each  plate,  and  the  whole  was  bound 
in  one  volume,  like  the  leaves  of  a  book,  closed 
by  three  clasps.  Its  thickness  was  six  inches. 
One  portion  of  the  plate  was  sealed  up.  On 
those  which  were  not  sealed  there  were  small 
characters  skilfully  cut."  (Kennedy,  page 
34.)  The  sealed  plates  were  not  opened  by 
Smith,  but  they  wait  the  further  pleasure  of 
Moroni  as  a  later  revelation. 


26 


CHAPTER  11 

The  Translation 

^T^  HE  language  of  the  plates  was  called  by 
Smith  "the  reformed  Egyptian,"  but  why 
"reformed,"  and  why  "Egyptian,"  no  one 
knows,  except  that  it  was  by  revelation.  Pos- 
sibly what  Joe  says  of  the  word  Mormon 
would  also  apply  to  the  name  of  the  language ; 
"I  may  safely  say  that  the  word  Mormon 
stands  independent  of  the  learning  and  wis- 
dom of  this  generation."  This,  by  the  way,  is 
undoubtedly  another  one  of  the  few  perfectly 
creditable  statements  coming  from  the 
prophet.  In  a  letter  to  The  Times  and  Sea- 
sons, dated  Nauvoo,  May  19,  1841,  Joe 
still  further  explains  the  word  Mormon.  "Be- 
fore I  give  a  definition,  however,  to  the  word, 
let  me  say,  that  the  Bible  in  its  widest  sense, 
means  good;  for  the  Saviour  says,  according 
27 


TH£  BIRTH  of  MORMONISM 

to  the  Gospel  of  John,  'I  am  the  Good  Shep- 
herd ;'  and  it  will  not  be  beyond  the  common 
use  of  terms  to  say  that  GOOD  is  among  the 
most  important  in  use,  and  though  known  by 
various  names  in  different  languages,  still  the 
meaning  is  the  same,  and  is  ever  in  opposition 
to  bad.  We  say  from  the  Saxon,  good;  the 
Dane,  god;  the  Goth,  goda;  the  German,  gut; 
the  Dutch,  goed ;  the  Latin,  bonus ;  the  Greek, 
kalos;  the  Hebrew,  tob;  and  the  Egyptian, 
mon.  Hence  with  the  addition  of  more,  or 
the  contraction  mor,  we  have  the  word  MOR- 
MON, which  means  literally  more  good." 

Just  how  Mormon's  father  came  to  know 
of  this  English  word  we  are  not  informed, 
for  it  must  be  remembered  that  Mormon  was 
the  Ezra  of  Joe's  Bible,  as  he  compiled  and 
wrote  the  volume.  Mormon  and  twenty- 
three  others  were  the  last  of  the  Nephites,  and 
these  also  all  perished  except  Moroni,  Mor- 
mon's son,  who  lived  to  tell  the  mournful  tale 
and  to  hide  the  plates  under  the  hill  whence 
28 


THE  BIRTH  op  MORMONISM 

Joe,  fourteen  hundred  years  later,  obtained 
them.  What  a  wonderful  father  Mormon 
must  have  had — or  was  it  his  mother? — who 
gave  his  son  a  name  compounded  from  the 
"reformed  Egyptian"  and  English  language, 
the  latter  the  native  speech  of  the  prophet  who 
was  not  to  come  for  many  centuries.  But 
then,  anything  is  possible  in  such  revelations  I 
We  must  anticipate  our  story  a  little  in 
order  to  deal  further  with  this  truly  wonder- 
ful language.  Martin  Harris,  of  whom  more 
later,  took  an  alleged  copy  of  some  of  the 
original  and  of  Smith's  translation  to  New 
York  and  submitted  them  to  the  judgment  of 
the  well-known  classical  scholar.  Prof.  Charles 
Anthon.  In  order  to  be  an  impartial  his- 
torian I  place  side  by  side  the  account  as 
given,  supposedly  by  Martin  Harris,  and 
printed  in  "A  Brief  History  of  the  Church," 
etc.,  page  28,  and  Prof.  Anthon's  own  account 
of  the  interview.     Anti-Mormons  might  al- 


29 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

most  be  willing  to  rest  their  whole  case  upon 
this  exhibit. 

"Being  shown  the  characters,  Prof.  Charles 
Anthon,  of  Columbia  College,  stated,  accord- 
ing to  the  account  of  Mr.  Harris,  that  the 
translation  was  correct,  more  so  than  any  he 
had  before  seen  translated  from  the  Egyptian. 
The  Professor  was  then  shown  the  untrans- 
lated characters,  which  he  said  were  true 
Egyptian,  Chaldaic,  Assyric,  and  Arabic.  He 
gave  a  certificate,  addressed  to  the  people  of 
Palmyra,  embodying  the  expressed  assertions, 
and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Harris,  who  folded  it, 
placed  it  in  his  pocket,  and  was  about  to 
leave,  when  the  Professor  enquired  how  the 
young  man  learned  that  there  were  gold 
plates  in  the  place  where  he  had  found  them. 
*An  angel  of  God  revealed  it  to  him,*  was 
the  farmer^s  reply.  'Let  me  see  that  certifi- 
cate,' said  the  astonished  Professor.  Mr. 
Harris  complied,  thinking  the  man  desired  to 


30 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

add  something  to  it,  but  no  sooner  was  the 
paper  in  the  Professor's  hands  than  he  tore 
it  in  pieces,  saying:  'There  is  no  such  thing 
in  these  days  as  ministering  of  angels,'  adding 
that  he  wished  the  plates  brought  to  him  and 
he  would  translate  them.  *A  part  of  the 
plates  is  sealed,  and  I  am  forbidden  to  bring 
them,'  said  Mr.  Harris,  whereupon  the  Pro- 
fessor contemptuously  replied:  'I  cannot* 
read  a  sealed  book.'  And  thus  were  fulfilled 
literally  the  words  of  the  ancient  prophet  of 
God,  as  written  in  Isaiah  29:11."  ''Dr. 
Mitchell,  another  learned  scholar,  was  con- 
sulted, and  seconded  all  that  Prof.  Anthon 
had  said  concerning  the  characters  and  trans- 
lations." (A  Brief  History  of  the  Church, 
etc.,  page  28.) 

The  following  is  Prof.  Anthon's  own  ac- 
count of  the  interview,  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coit,  of  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y., 
and  first  published  in  The  Church  Record: 


31 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

*'New  York,  April  3,  1841. 
'^Rev.  and  Dear  Sir : — 

"I  have  often  heard  that  the  Mormons 
claimed  me  for  an  auxiliary,  but  as  no  one 
until  the  present  time  has  ever  requested  from 
me  a  statement  in  writing,  I  have  not  deemed 
it  worth  while  to  say  anything  publicly  on  the 
subject.  What  I  do  know  of  the  sect  relates 
to  some  of  their  early  movements,  and,  as  the 
facts  may  amuse  you,  while  they  will  furnish 
a  satisfactory  answer  to  the  charge  of  my 
being  a  Mormon  proselyte,  I  proceed  to  lay 
them  before  you  in  detail.  Many  years  ago, 
the  precise  date  I  do  not  now  recollect,  a  plain 
looking  countryman  called  upon  me  with  a 
letter  from  Dr.  Samuel  L.  Mitchell,  request- 
ing me  to  examine  and  give  my  opinion  upon 
a  certain  paper,  marked  with  various  charac- 
ters, which  the  Doctor  confessed  he  could  not 
decipher,  and  which  the  bearer  of  the  note 
was  very  anxious  to  have  explained.  A  very 
brief  examination  of  the  paper  convinced  me 
32 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

that  it  was  a  mere  hoax,  and  a  very  clumsy 
one,  too.  The  characters  were  arranged  in 
columns,  like  the  Chinese  mode  of  writing, 
and  presented  the  most  singular  medley  that 
I  ever  beheld.  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  all  sorts 
of  letters  more  or  less  distorted,  either 
through  unskilfulness  or  from  actual  design, 
were  intermingled  with  sundry  delineations  of 
half-moons,  stars,  and  other  natural  objects, 
and  the  whole  ended  in  a  rude  representation 
of  the  Mexican  zodiac.  The  conclusion  was 
irresistible  that  some  cunning  fellow  had  pre- 
pared the  paper  in  question  for  the  purpose 
of  imposing  upon  the  countryman  who 
brought  it,  and  I  told  the  man  so  without  any 
hesitation.  He  then  proceeded  to  give  me  a 
history  of  the  whole  affair,  which  convinced 
me  that  he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  some 
sharper,  while  it  left  me  in  great  astonish- 
ment at  his  own  simplicity.  (Dr.  Anthon 
here  repeats  the  story  of  the  golden  plates, 
as  told  by  Smith  and  repeated  by  Harris.) 
33 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

On  my  telling  the  bearer  of  the  paper  that 
an  attempt  had  been  made  to  impose  upon 
him  and  defraud  him  of  his  property,  he 
requested  me  to  give  him  my  opinion  in  writ- 
ing about  the  paper  which  he  had  shown  to 
me.  I  did  so  without  hesitation,  partly  for 
the  man's  sake  and  partly  to  let  the  individual 
behind  the  curtain  see  that  his  trick  was  dis- 
covered. The  import  of  what  I  wrote  was,  as 
far  as  I  can  now  recollect,  simply  this,  that 
the  marks  in  the  paper  appeared  to  be  merely 
an  imitation  of  various  alphabetical  charac- 
ters, and  had  in  my  opinion  no  meaning  at  all 
connected  with  them.  The  countryman  then 
took  his  leave,  with  many  thanks,  and  with 
the  express  declaration  that  he  would  in  no 
shape  part  with  his  farm,  or  embark  in  the 
speculation  of  printing  the  golden  book. 
(Prof.  Anthon  here  describes  a  second  call, 
at  a  later  date,  and  his  refusal  to  accept  a 
copy  of  the  newly-published  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, or  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.)  That 
34 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

the  Prophet  aided  me  by  his  inspiration  in 
interpreting  the  volume,  is  only  one  of  the 
many  amusing  falsehoods  which  the  Mormon- 
ites  uttered  relative  to  myparticipation  in  their 
doctrines.  Of  these  doctrines  I  know  nothing 
whatever,  nor  have  I  ever  heard  a  single  dis- 
course from  any  one  of  their  preachers,  al- 
though I  have  often  felt  a  strong  curiosity  to 
become  an  auditor,  since  my  friends  tell  me 
that  they  frequently  name  me  in  their  sermons, 
and  even  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  I  am  alluded 
to  in  the  prophecies  of  Scripture ! 
.  "If  what  I  have  here  written  shall  prove 
of  any  service  in  opening  the  eyes  of  some  of 
their  deluded  followers  to  the  real  designs  of 
those  who  profess  to  be  the  Apostles  of  Mor- 
monism,  it  will  afford  me  a  satisfaction,  equal- 
ed, I  have  no  doubt,  only  by  that  which  you 
yourself  will  feel  on  this  subject. 

"I  remain  very  respectfully  and  truly,  your 
friend, 

"Charles  Anthon." 
35 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

Martin  Harris  is  one  of  the  *'three"  wit- 
nesses to  the  Book  of  Mormon.  It  is  not 
difficult  to  judge  of  the  value  of  his  testimony 
after  reading  the  above  amazing  statement  of 
his  interview  with  Prof.  Anthon,  written,  if 
not  told  long  after  it  occurred. 

The  process  of  translating  the  "reformed 
Egyptian"  plates  was  simple  though  peculiar. 
It  was  all  done  with  the  Urim  and  Thummim 
spectacles,  but  it  was  instant  death  for  any  one 
but  Joe  to  use  them.  Even  when  he  put  them 
on,  the  light  became  so  dazzling  that  he  was 
obliged  to  look  through  his  hat.  Moreover, 
when  so  engaged,  no  profane  eyes  were  allow- 
ed to  see  him  or  the  hat.  Alone,  behind  a 
blanket  stretched  across  the  room,  Joe  looked 
into  his  hat  and  read  the  mystic  words.  David 
Whitmer  thus  describes  the  process;  "Joseph 
Smith  would  put  the  seer  stone  into  a  hat, 
drawing  it  closely  round  his  face  to  exclude 
the  light,  and  in  the  darkness  the  spiritual 
light  would  shine.  A  piece  of  something  re- 
36 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

sembling  parchment  would  appear,  and  on 
that  appeared  the  writing.  One  character  at 
a  time  would  appear,  and  under  it  was  the 
interpretation  in  EngHsh.  Brother  Joseph 
would  read  off  the  English  to  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  who  was  the  principal  scribe,  and  when 
it  was  written  down  and  repeated  to  Brother 
Joseph,  to  see  if  it  was  correct,  then  it  would 
disappear  and  another  character  with  the  in- 
terpretation would  appear.  Thus  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  translated  by  the  gift  and 
power  of  God,  and  not  by  any  power  of  man." 
(An  Address  to  all  Believers  in  Christ,  p.  12.) 
Poor  Martin  Harris!  He  was  the  first 
scribe  and  so  continued  till  116  pages  had 
been  translated.  Then  Martin  insisted  that 
he  must  have  the  manuscript  to  show  to  his 
neighbors,  who  said  that  he  was  a  fool.  Re- 
luctantly, and  as  it  proved,  wickedly,  Joe 
yielded,  and  that  night  Mrs.  Martin  deposited 
the  paper  in  the  stove.  She  did  not  confess 
to  the  sin  at  once,  and  Joe  and  Martin  were 
37 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

in  a  serious  dilemma.  Easy  enough  to  trans- 
late it  again,  you  say?  Yes,  but  awful 
thought !  suppose  the  new  translation  should 
not  agree  with  the  first,  and  later  the  first 
should  turn  up  to  the  dismay  of  the  prophet 
and  his  scribe!  Joe  meditated  upon  it  for 
months — July,  1828,  to  April  17,  1829 — and 
it  is  needless  to  say  that  there  was  a  decided 
coolness  between  him  and  Martin.  Then  he 
announced  that  the  Lord  had  forbidden  him 
to  translate  again  the  pages  which  were  sealed 
up,  "and  thus  I  will  confound  those  who  have 
altered  my  words."  (See  Preface  to  first  edi- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  omitted  in  later 
editions,  page  48.)  His  mother  reports  him 
as  saying  when  he  announced  the  loss:  *0 
my  God,  all  is  lost!*  Of  course  Joe  lost  all 
faith  for  the  time  being  in  Martin,  and  mother 
Smith  says  that  because  of  his  offense  *a  dense 
fog  spread  itself  over  his  fields  and  blighted 
his  crops.'  (Linn,  page  43.)  (Section  3,  Doc- 
trines and  Covenants,  is  a  wordy  "Revela- 
3S 


The  birth  OP  MOkMONisM 

tion"  "concerning  certain  Manuscripts  on  the 
First  Part  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which 
had  been  taken  from  the  possession  of  Martin 
Harris.") 

Repeated  attempts  were  made  by  the  wick- 
ed people  of  Palmyra  and  vicinity  to  steal 
the  plates,  or  to  have  a  good  look  at  them. 
There  is  a  story — quite  generally  believed 
but  of  course  it  cannot  be  true! — that  a 
party  of  Palmyrans  were  taken  into  the  room, 
or  at  least  obtained  entrance  into  it,  and  were 
shown  a  box  within  which  rested  the  precious 
plates  decently  covered  with  a  cloth.  They 
were  not  satisfied,  and  with  speech  more 
vigorous  than  reverent,  raised  the  cloth,  and, 
behold,  nothing  but  a  brick  was  seen!  Either 
Moroni  had  substituted  the  brick  for  the 
plates  while  they  were  talking,  or  else  had 
anticipated  their  visit.  Both  explanations  are 
given. 

Most  of  the  work  of  translation  was  done 
at  Harmony,  Pa.,  though  it  was  completed 
39 


THE  BIRTH  OP  MORMONISM 

at  Fayette,  where  later  the  first  church  was 
organized. 

During  this  time,  John  the  Baptist  appear- 
ed and  ordained  to  the  Aaronic  priesthood 
Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  a 
Vermont  school-teacher,  well  fitted  to  be  sec- 
ond in  this  great  fraud,  and  gave  them  the 
necessary  instruction.  Subsequently  they  each 
baptized  the  other,  and  then  each  ordained  the 
other.  Thus  they  secured  proper  credentials 
for  their  future  work. 


40 


CHAPTER  III 

The  Publication  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon 

"D  UT  if  the  new  religion  was  to  become 
known,  the  translation  of  the  "Golden 
Plates"  must  be  published.  This  took  money, 
and  at  this  time  the  Smiths  had  none.  Later 
their  pecuniary  embarrassment  was  greatly  re- 
lieved. Martin  Harris  was  the  only  one  of  the 
group  of  believers  who  had  money,  and  he  was 
a  lover  of  it.  Joe  worked  upon  his  cupidity, 
assuring  him  that  there  was  money  in  the 
venture,  and  further  assured  him  that  they 
two  were  about  the  only  honest  men  in  the 
world. 

The   Rev.  John  A.   Clark,   an  Episcopal 

clergyman  then  living  in  Palmyra,  and  author 

of  a  book  entitled,  "Gleanings  by  the  Way," 

has  told  the  story  of  an  interview  with  Martin. 

41 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

I  quote  from  a  pamphlet  printed  in  Rochester, 
1 84 1,  entitled,  "The  Mormons,  or  Knavery 
Exposed,"  etc.  "It  was  early  in  the  autumn 
of  1827,  that  Martin  Harris  called  at  my 
house  in  Palmyra,  one  morning  about  sunrise. 
His  whole  appearance  indicated  more  than 
usual  excitement,  and  he  had  scarcely  passed 
the  threshold  of  my  dwelling  before  he  in- 
quired whether  he  could  see  me  alone,  re- 
marking that  he  had  a  matter  to  communicate 
that  he  wished  to  be  strictly  confidential. 
Previous  to  this,  I  had  had  but  very  slight 
acquaintance  with  Mr.  Harris.  I  had  heard 
him  spoken  of  as  a  farmer  in  comfortable 
circumstances,  residing  in  the  country  a  short 
distance  from  the  village,  and  distinguished 
by  certain  peculiarities  of  character.  He  had 
been,  if  I  mistake  not,  at  one  period,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church,  and,  subsequent- 
ly, had  identified  himself  with  the  Univer- 
salists.  At  this  time,  however,  in  his  religious 
views,  he  seemed  to  be  floating  upon  the  sea 
42 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISlVl 

of  uncertainty.  He  had,  evidently,  quite  an 
extensive  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
possessed  a  disputatious  turn  of  mind.  As  I 
subsequently  learned,  Mr.  Harris  has  always 
been  a  firm  believer  in  dreams,  and  visions, 
and  supernatural  appearances,  such  as  appari- 
tions and  ghosts,  and,  therefore,  was  a  fit 
subject  for  such  men  as  Smith  and  his  col- 
leagues to  operate  upon.  On  the  occasion 
just  referred  to,  I  invited  him  to  accompany 
me  to  my  study,  where,  after  having  closed 
the  door,  he  began  to  draw  a  package  out  of 
his  pocket,  with  great  and  manifest  caution. 
Suddenly,  however,  he  stopped,  and  wished  to 
know  if  there  was  any  possibility  of  our  be- 
ing interrupted  or  overheard.  When  answer- 
ed in  the  negative,  he  proceeded  to  remark 
that  he  reposed  great  confidence  in  me  as  a 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  what  he  had 
now  to  communicate  he  wished  me  to  regard 
as  strictly  confidential.  He  said  he  verily  be- 
lieved that  an  important  epoch  had  arrived — 
43 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

that  a  great  flood  of  light  was  about  to  burst 
upon  the  world,  and  that  the  scene  of  divine 
manifestation  was  to  be  immediately  around 
us.  In  explanation  of  what  he  meant,  he  then 
proceeded  to  remark  that  a  Golden  Bible  had 
recently  been  dug  from  the  earth,  where  it 
had  been  deposited  for  thousands  of  years, 
and  that  this  would  be  found  to  contain  such 
disclosures  as  would  settle  all  religious  con- 
troversies and  speedily  bring  on  the  glorious 
millennium;  that  this  mysterious  book,  which 
no  human  eye  of  the  present  generation  had 
yet  seen,  was  in  the  possession  of  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.;  .  .  .  that  there  had  been  a 
revelation  made  to  him,  by  which  he  had  dis- 
covered this  sacred  deposit,  and  two  trans- 
parent stones,  through  which,  as  a  sort  of 
spectacles,  he  could  read  the  Bible,  although 
the  box  or  ark  that  contained  it,  had  not  yet 
been  opened;  and  that  by  looking  through 
those  mysterious  stones,  he  had  transcribed 
from   one  of  the  leaves  of  this  book,   the 


The  birth  of  mormonisivI 

characters  which  Harris  had  so  carefully 
wrapped  in  the  package  which  he  was  draw- 
ing from  his  pocket.  The  whole  thing  ap- 
peared to  me  so  ludicrous  and  puerile,  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  telling  Mr.  Harris 
that  I  believed  it  a  mere  hoax  got  up  to  prac- 
tice upon  his  credulity,  or  an  artifice  to  extort 
from  him  money;  for  I  had  already,  in  the 
course  of  the  conversation,  learned  that  he 
had  advanced  some  twenty-five  dollars  to  Joe 
Smith,  as  a  sort  of  premium  for  sharing  with 
him  in  the  glories  and  profits  of  this  new 
revelation.  For  at  this  time,  his  mind  seemed 
to  be  quite  as  intent  upon  the  pecuniary  ad- 
vantage that  would  arise  from  the  possession 
of  the  plates  of  solid  gold  of  which  this  book 
was  composed,  as  upon  the  spiritual  light  it 
would  diffuse  over  the  world.  My  intima- 
tions to  him,  in  reference  to  the  possible  im- 
position that  was  being  practised  upon  him, 
however,  were  indignantly  repelled.  He  then 
went  on  to  relate  the  particulars  in  regard  to 
45 


The  birth  of  mormonisM 

the  discovery  and  possession  of  this  marvel- 
lous book."  The  conclusion  of  this  matter 
was  that  Harris  gave  his  wife  her  portion  of 
his  goods,  separated  from  her,  and  with  the 
money  raised  by  mortgage  on  the  rest  of  his 
farm,  agreed  to  pay  for  the  first  edition  of 
the  book. 

In  1829,  a  contract  was  made  with  Mr. 
Egbert  B.  Grandin,  publisher  of  the  Palmyra 
Sentinel,  to  print  5,000  copies  for  $3,000,  and 
the  job  was  completed  in  1830.  The  manu- 
script in  Cowdery's  handwriting  was  furnish- 
ed in  quantity  sufficient  for  the  day's  work,  and 
at  night  the  type  was  distributed  and  the  copy 
returned.  The  original  manuscript  became 
the  property  of  David  Whitmer,  and  is  now, 
or  was  until  quite  recently,  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  George  W.  Schweich,  Richmond,  Mo. 
The  Salt  Lake  Mormons  have  offered  large 
sums  of  money  for  this  manuscript,  it  is  even 
*  said  $100,000,  but  its  owners,  who  do  not 

beheve  in  polygamy,  have  refused  to  sell  it. 
46 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

Major  Gilbert,  the  compositor,  who  died  a 
few  years  ago  in  Palmyra,  over  ninety  years 
of  age,  said  the  manuscript  was  "badly  spelled,, 
grammatically  imperfect,  and  without  punctu- 
ation." Joe  told  him  that  the  angel  said  it 
must  be  printed  as  written,  but  the  Major  was 
equally  insistent,  and  Joe  finally  yielded,  or 
rather  the  angel  did,  and  permitted  many  of 
these  errors  to  be  corrected.  This  work  has 
been  continued  in  later  editions,  but  is  not 
yet  complete.  Pity  it  was  ever  begun !  Mr. 
Pliny  T.  Sexton,  of  Palmyra,  has  the  proof 
sheets  of  this  first  edition  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  On  the  title  page,  appeared  this 
strange  statement: 

"By  JOSEPH  SMITH,  Junior, 

AUTHOR  AND  PROPRIETOR." 

Subsequently,  this  was  changed  to,  "Trans- 
lated by     ..." 

The  book  created  only  a  mild  sensation, 
and  the  sale  was  slow.  Harris  had  a  mo- 
nopoly of  it,  and  the  awful  penalty  of  instant 
47 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

death  was  threatened  any  one  who  disposed 
of  it  for  less  than  $1.25.  Then  the  right 
to  sell  was  turned  over  to  Smith,  Sr.,  and  he 
cut  prices.  Then  Joe  was  informed  by  the 
angel  (See  Doctrines  and  Covenants,  Sec.  19) 
that  the  whole  arrangement  was  wrong;  Mar- 
tin was  covetous,  and  after  he  had  paid  the 
printer,  the  whole  outfit  must  be  turned  over 
to  the  prophet  himself,  who  would  be  free 
from  wrong  motives  in  handling  it.  Immedi- 
ately the  finances  of  the  Smith  family  Im- 
proved, possibly,  if  tradition  Is  to  be  credited, 
to  the  benefit  of  the  neighbor's  henroosts. 

About  a  year  after  the  completion  of  the 
translation,  Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer 
and  Martin  Harris,  signed  "The  Testimony 
of  the  Three  Witnesses"  which  Is  still  printed 
In  all  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The 
"Revelation"  concerning  It  Is  given  In  Doc- 
trines and  Covenants,  Sec.  17,  where  It  Is  said, 
"And  It  Is  by  your  faith  that  you  shall  obtain 
a  view  of  them,  even  by  that  faith  which  was 
48 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

had  by  the  prophets  of  old.  And  after  that 
you  have  obtained  faith,  and  have  seen  them 
with  your  eyes,  you  shall  testify  of  them,  by 
the  power  of  God;  and  this  you  shall  do,  that 
my  servant  Joseph  Smith,  jun.,  may  not  be 
destroyed,  and  that  I  may  bring  about  my 
righteous  purposes  unto  the  children  of  men 
in  this  work."  Of  course  after  such  a  de- 
liverance these  men  obtained  a  view  of  them 
by  their  faith,  and  so  certify. 

"Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds, 
tongues,  and  people,  unto  whom  this  work 
shall  come,  that  we,  through  the  grace  of  God 
the  Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have 
seen  the  plates  which  contain  this  record, 
which  is  a  record  of  the  people  of  Nephi,  and 
also  of  the  Lamanites,  their  brethren,  and  also 
of  the  people  of  Jared,  who  came  from  the 
tower  of  which  hath  been  spoken ;  and  we  also 
know  that  they  have  been  translated  by  the 
gift  and  power  of  God,  for  his  voice  hath 
declared  it  unto  us;  wherefore  we  know  of 
49 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

a  surety  that  the  work  is  true.  And  we  also 
testify  that  we  have  seen  the  engravings  which 
are  upon  the  plates;  and  they  have  been  shown 
unto  us  by  the  power  of  God,  and  not  of  man. 
And  we  declare  with  words  of  soberness  that 
an  angel  of  God  came  down  from  heaven, 
and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes,  that 
we  beheld  and  saw  the  plates,  and  the  en- 
gravings thereon;  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our 
eyes,  nevertheless,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  com- 
manded us  that  we  should  bear  record  of  it; 
wherefore,  to  be  obedient  unto  the  command- 
ments of  God,  we  bear  testimony  of  these 
things.  And  we  know  that  if  we  are  faithful 
in  Christ,  we  shall  rid  our  garments  of  the 
blood  of  all  men,  and  be  found  spotless  be- 
fore the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  and  shall 
dwell  with  him  eternally  in  the  heavens.  And 
the  honor  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son, 
and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  one  God. 
Amen.     Oliver  Cowdery,   David  Whitmer, 

Martin  Harris." 

50 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

The  curious  phraseology  will  not  escape 
the  notice  of  the  reader,  nor  will  the  entire 
absence  of  any  date,  or  of  any  description  of 
the  plates  or  of  the  manner  in  which  they  were 
discovered,  or  revealed,  or  shown  "by  the 
power  of  God  and  not  of  man."  The  utter 
unreliability  of  these  witnesses  will  also  be 
suggested  when  we  come  later  to  tell  what 
manner  of  men  they  were. 

Then  follows  the  testimony  of  eight  addi- 
tional witnesses,  and  this  spite  of  the  fact  that 
Doctrines  and  Covenants,  Sec.  5,  declares  that 
"to  none  else  will  I  grant  this  power,"  that 
is,  "the  power  that  they  may  behold  and  view 
these  things  as  they  are." 

"And  Also  the  Testimony  of  Eight  Wit- 
nesses. Be  it  known  unto  all  the  nations,  kin- 
dreds, tongues,  and  people,  unto  whom  thi^ 
work  shall  come,  that  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  the 
translator  of  this  work,  has  shown  unto  us  the 
plates  of  which  hath  been  spoken,  which  have 
the  appearance  of  gold;  and  as  many  of  the 
51 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

leaves  as  the  said  Smith  has  translated,  we  did 
handle  with  our  hands :  and  we  also  saw  the 
engravings  thereon,  all  of  which  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  ancient  work,  and  of  curious 
workmanship.  And  this  we  bear  record  with 
words  of  soberness,  that  the  said  Smith  has 
shown  unto  us,  for  we  have  seen  and  hefted, 
and  know  of  a  surety,  that  the  said  Smith  has 
got  the  plates  of  which  we  have  spoken.  And 
we  give  our  names  unto  the  world  to  witness 
unto  the  world  that  which  we  have  seen ;  and 
we  lie  not,  God  bearing  witness  of  it. 
Christian  Whitmer,  Hiram  Page, 

Jacob  Whitmer,  Joseph  Smith,  Sen., 

Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,       Hyrum  Smith, 
John  Whitmer,  Samuel  H.  Smith." 

Once  more  let  the  reader  note  that  there 
is  no  affidavit,  no  date  or  place  attached  to 
this  "testimony."  Further,  no  one  familiar 
with  the  peculiar  style  of  "Doctrines  and  Cov- 
enants," will  hesitate  in  determining  the  au- 
thorship of  these  two  declarations. 
53 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Organization  of  the  Church 

12  UT  now  that  the  translation  was  complete 
things  moved  rapidly.  As  already  stated 
the  First  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints  was  or- 
ganized at  the  house  of  Peter  Whitmer,  Fay- 
ette, Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  April  6,  1830, 
with  six  members,  namely,  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,' 
his  brothers,  Hyrum  and  Samuel  H.,  Oliver 
Cowdery,  Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  and  his  broth- 
er David. 

April  II,  1830,  the  first  public  meeting  of 
the  organization  was  held,  and  Rvc  Whitmers 
and  two  Pages  were  baptized.  "On  this  oc- 
casion, Oliver  Cowdery,  under  Joseph^s  di- 
rection, preached  the  first  public  discourse  de- 
livered by  an  authorized  servant  of  God  in  the 
Latter  Day  Dispensation."  (Brief  History 
of  the  Church,  p.  87.) 
53 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

On  April  i8,  three  more  Whitmers  and 
three  Jollys  were  baptized,  others  later,  and 
two  or  three  preaching  stations  were  establish- 
ed in  the  township. 

June  I,  1830,  the  first  Conference  of  the 
Church  was  held  at  Fayette.  Thirty  believers, 
besides  many  strangers,  were  present,  and  it 
was  a  wonderful  day,  according  to  Mormon 
authorities.  A  second  General  Conference 
was  held  in  the  same  place  September  ist,  and 
continued  for  three  days,  and  a  third  one 
January  2,  1831.  During  these  months, 
Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  Sidney  Rigdon  and  Orson 
Pratt  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  Fayette. 

But  many  things  pointed  to  the  new  West 
as  more  congenial  soil  for  the  new  faith.  So 
in  October,  1830,  four  elders,  Oliver  Cow- 
dery.  Parley  Pratt,  Ziba  Peterson  and  Peter 
Whitmer,  Jr.,  were  sent  on  a  mission  to  the 
Indians,  "a  people  for  whose  salvation  Smith 
declared  the  new  revelation  had  been  largely 
made."  They  stopped  at  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
54 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

converted  Sidney  Rigdon  in  a  very  sensational 
manner,  and  many  others.  They  organized 
a  Church  there,  and  soon  after,  Joe  had  a 
revelation  that  Kirtland  was  the  promised 
land  of  Mormonism,  and  thither  in  1831 
Smith  and  all  his  converts  went.  For  that 
day,  and  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances,  it 
was  an  excellent  location.  By  further  revela- 
tions, settlements  were  soon  made  in  Inde- 
pendence, Jackson  County,  Missouri,  and 
when  driven  from  Kirtland  in  1838,  Cass  and 
Clay  counties  received  them.  From  Missouri 
they  were  obliged  to  flee  to  Illinois  in  1840. 
They  founded  on  the  Mississippi  the  city  of 
Nauvoo,  which  soon  had  10,000  or  more  in- 
habitants, and  great  outward  prosperity.  The 
story  of  these  years  of  growth  and  persecu- 
tion is  not  in  place  here.  The  assumptions 
of  the  prophet  became  colossal.  He  was  an 
arbitrary  dictator;  could  always  furnish  a  new 
revelation  in  order  to  accomplish  his  designs, 
whether  it  concerned  the  punishment  of  his 
55 


THE  BIRTH  OP  MORMONISM 

enemies,  the  promotion  of  his  friends,  or 
plural  marriages;  and  made  well  nigh  un- 
believable claims  as  to  his  knowledge  and  au- 
thority. In  November,  1843,  according  to 
Riley  (page  329,)  he  said:  **I  knowmore  than 
all  the  world  put  together.  ...  I  com- 
bat the  error  of  the  ages.  I  meet  the  violence 
of  mobs;  I  cope  with  illegal  proceedings  from 
executive  authority.  I  cut  the  Gordian  knot 
of  powers,  and  I  solve  mathematical  problems 
of  Universities  with  truth,  .  .  .  and 
God  is  my  right  hand  man.''  February  21, 
1843,  J^^  preached  a  sermon  of  which  this  is 
a  partial  report  from  the  prophet  himself; 
"If  any  man  (working  on  the  Nauvoo  House) 
is  hungry  let  him  come  to  me  and  I  will  feed 
him  at  my  table  .  .  .  and  then  if  the 
man  is  not  satisfied  I  will  kick  his  backsides. 
.  This  meeting  was  got  up  by  the 
Nauvoo  House  committee.  The  Pagans, 
Roman  Catholics,  Methodists  and  Baptists 
shall  have  glace  in  Nauvoo — only  they  must 
56 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

be  ground  in  Joe  Smith's  mill.  I  have  been 
in  their  mill  .  .  .  and  those  who  come 
here  must  go  through  my  smut  machine,  and 
that  is  my  tongue."      (Quoted  by  Linn,  p. 

2I3-) 

Joe  was  mayor  of  the  city,  judge  of  its 
highest  court.  General  commanding  its  militia, 
and  autocrat  in  chief.  His  followers  nominat- 
ed him  for  President  in  1844,  after  he  had 
sent  insulting  letters  to  Clay  and  Calhoun,  and 
1,000  missionaries  were  sent  out  from  Nau- 
voo  to  promote  his  candidacy  before  the 
National  Democratic  convention.  One  State 
convention,  Massachusetts,  met  in  Boston  be- 
fore the  news  of  his  murder  reached  the  city, 
but  it  was  broken  up  by  rowdies  and  adjourn- 
ed without  taking  action.  The  moral  rotten- 
ness in  Nauvoo  during  these  years  passed  all 
bounds.    It  was  indescribably  vile. 

When,  however,  Joseph  and  his  brother, 
Hyrum,  were  murdered  by  the  mob  at  Carth- 
age, June  27,  1844,  the  success  of  the  new 
57 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

religion  was  assured.  Henceforth  the  prophet 
was  a  martyr;  factional  conflicts,  which  had 
threatened  the  very  existence  of  the  Church, 
ceased,  or  were  suppressed  by  the  stronger 
hand  of  Brigham  Young,  who  never  had  but 
one  revelation,  and  a  new  era  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Mormonism  began. 

Apply  to  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  whatever 
moral  measurement  you  please:  believe  him 
to  be,  as  I  do,  a  deliberate  impostor,  a  charla- 
tan of  the  first  rank,  not  self-deceived  at  least 
at  first,  though  deceiving  others,  we  must  con- 
cede to  him  great  ability.  Gentile  writers  have 
not  always  been  willing  to  admit  this.  Grant- 
ed that  he  had  able  assistants  in  Cowdery, 
RIgdon,  and  others,  Joe  himself  was  the  soul, 
the  life  of  the  movement.  I  agree  with  Ken- 
nedy, who  says :  "One  cannot  but  admire  the 
wonderful  power  of  Smith  In  meeting  each 
event  as  It  came,  and  In  fitting  the  circum- 
stances of  any  extraordinary  occurrence  to  his 
own  purpose.     Nothing  was  so  unexpected 

5i 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

that  it  could  take  advantage  of  him,  and  no 
truth  so  mighty  that  it  could  unhorse  him  or 
put  his  imagination  to  shame."  (Page  183.) 
Of  course  Mormon  teachers  themselves 
make  everything  stand  or  fall  upon  the  reality 
of  the  divine  mission  of  Smith.  Says  Dr. 
James  E.  Talmage,  one  of  their  authorized 
expositors;  "The  question  of  the  divine  au- 
thenticity of  this  man's  mission  is  the  all-im- 
portant one  to  earnest  investigators  of  Latter- 
day  Saint  Doctrines.  If  his  claims  to  a  God- 
given  appointment  be  false  forming  as  they, 
do,  the  foundation  of  the  Church  of  the  last 
dispensation,  the  superstructure  cannot  be 
stable;  if,  however,  his  important  ordination 
under  the  hands  of  heavenly  personages  be  a 
fact,  one  need  search  no  further  for  the  cause 
of  the  phenomenal  strength  and  growing  pow- 
er of  the  restored  Church."  (The  Articles 
of  Faith,  a  Series  of  Lectures  on  the  Principal 
Doctrines  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  Salt  Lake  City,  1899.)  In 
59 


Th£  bIrTh  of  MORMONISM 

view  of  the  well  authenticated  facts  which 
have  been  here  stated,  and  much  more  that 
has  been  given  by  others  on  amply  sufficient 
evidence,  the  reader  ought  to  be  competent 
to  reach  his  own  conclusion  on  this  dilemma. 


60 


CHAPTER  V 

The  Witnesses 

T  ET  us  now  turn  to  study  the  lives  of  the 
three  'Vitnesses"  and  some  others  of  the 
early  converts.  To  follow  "the  three"  would 
be  to  tell  in  detail  a  large  part  of  the  history 
of  Mormonism  for  its  first  few  years. 

Oliver  Cowdery  stands  first.  As  we  have 
already  seen  he  acted  as  the  scribe  for  the 
prophet  after  Harris  failed  and  Joseph's  wife, 
Emma,  ceased  to  act  in  this  capacity.  Linn 
says:  "Cowdery  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
but  gave  up  that  occupation,  and,  while  Joe 
was  translating  in  Pennsylvania,  secured  the 
place  of  teacher  in  the  district  where  the 
Smiths  lived,  and  boarded  with  them.  They 
told  him  of  the  new  Bible,  and,  according  to 
Joe's  later  account,  Cowdery  for  himself  re- 
6i 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

ceived  a  revelation  of  its  divine  character, 
went  to  Pennsylvania,  and  from  that  time  was 
intimately  connected  with  Joe  in  the  transla- 
tion and  publication  of  the  book."     (Linn,  p. 

45-) 

Kennedy,  who  more  than  any  other  writer, 
investigated  the  life  and  character  of  the 
three,  tells  a  little  different  story,  and  prob- 
ably the  more  reliable.  He  says  that  Cowdery 
was  a  Vermont  school  teacher,  with  some  little 
education,  who  came  West  and  taught  school 
near  Fayette  before  1830.  "Whether  from 
a  love  of  mental  adventure,  a  shrewd  forecast 
of  the  possibilities  of  the  future,  a  real  belief 
in  the  powers  of  Smith,  or  a  weakness  of 
character  that  led  him  captive  by  a  stronger 
individuality,  I  know  not;  but  from  the  first 
he  was  Smith's  willing  instrument  and  coun- 
sellor— ready  to  lead  boldly  when  sent  ahead, 
or  accept  the  minor  place  if  bidden  to  follow." 
He  has  left  on  record  a  rhetorical  description 
of  his  work  as  a  scribe  which  is  hardly  worth 
62 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

repeating.  His  whole  history  makes  it 
evident  that  he  was  more  of  a  partner  of 
Smith  in  the  fraud  than  his  dupe. 

In  1 841,  at  Nauvoo,  Cowdery  for  some 
reason  seems  to  have  fallen  out  with  Joe,  and 
by  revelation  the  prophet  declared  that  the 
''gifts  of  the  Priesthood,  that  once  were  put 
upon  him  that  was  my  servant  Oliver  Cow- 
dery were  taken  from  him"  and  given  to 
William  Marks,  evidently  a  more  facile  in- 
strument than  the  former  teacher.  Oliver 
then  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Tiffin,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  several  years  and  express- 
ed a  desire  to  unite  with  the  Methodist 
Church.  The  pastor.  Rev.  John  Souder,  and 
Mr.  G.  J.  Keen,  a  member,  waited  upon  him, 
and  to  them  he  made  a  full  renunciation  of 
Mormonism,  but  he  was  not  willing  to  do  so 
publicly,  it  would  invite  criticism  and  bring 
him  into  contempt.  Unfortunately,  the 
Church  was  content  with  his  confession  of  his 
error  at  a  Church  meeting.  While  in  Tiffin, 
63 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

he  was  faithful  to  his  profession  and  became 
Sunday  School  superintendent.  Then  he  re- 
moved to  Wisconsin,  where  he  entered  into 
political  life.  At  last,  broken  in  health  and 
spirit,  he  went  to  Richmond,  Mo.,  where  he 
died  March  3,  1850.  He  rejoined  the  Mor- 
mons a  year  or  two  before  his  death,  and  on 
his  death-bed  is  reported  to  have  said  to 
David  Whitmer,  "Brother  David,  be  true  to 
your  testimony  to  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

At  Richmond,  Mo.,  January  25,  1888, 
where  his  home  had  been  for  fifty  years, 
David  Whitmer,  the  second  of  the  three,  died. 
He  had  been  ill  a  long  time,  and  a  few  even- 
ings before  his  death  he  asked  his  physician 
this  question :  "Dr.  Buchanan,  I  want  you  to 
say  whether  or  not  I  am  in  my  right  mind 
before  giving  my  dying  testimony."  "Yes, 
you  are  in  your  right  mind,"  was  the  answer. 
Then  turning  to  those  about  him  he  said: 
"Be  faithful  in  Christ.  I  want  to  say  to  you 
all,  the  Bible  and  the  record  of  the  Nephites 
64 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

is  true;  so  you  can  say  that  you  have  heard 
me  bear  my  testimony  on  my  death  bed.  All 
be  faithful  in  Christ,  and  your  reward  will 
be  according  to  your  works.  God  bless  you  « 
all.  My  trust  is  in  Christ  forever,  world 
without  end."  (Quoted  in  Kennedy's  The 
Three  Witnesses  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.) 
There  is  something  pathetic  in  the  story  of 
this  man.  He  was  cast  out  of  the  Church  by 
Brigham  Young,  lived  for  fifty  years  there- 
after a  blameless  life,  as  friends  and  neigh- 
bors of  all  creeds  testified,  and  as  we  have 
seen  affirmed  with  his  dying  breath  the  truth 
of  the  alleged  vision  given  nearly  sixty  years 
before  that  convinced  him  of  the  divine  char- 
acter of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  of  Smith 
as  a  prophet.  In  the  closing  year  of  his  life 
he  published  a  closely  printed  pamphlet  of 
75  pages,  entitled,  "An  Address  to  All  Be- 
lievers in  Christ;  by  a  Witness  to  the  Divine 
Authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon."  In 
this  he  re-affirmcd  his  testimony,  and  labored 
65 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

to  convince  the  Mormons  that  many  of  the 
later  revelations  of  Joseph  Smith,  including 
the  one  about  polygamy,  were  not  genuine. 

The  Whitmer  family  were  among  the  earli- 
est converts  to  Mormonism.  Peter  the  father 
was  born  near  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  July  14, 
1773,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  son  David, 
August  13,  1854.  He  was  an  uneducated 
Pennsylvania  German,  an  honest  and  indus- 
trious citizen.  He  removed  to  Fayette,  N.  Y., 
in  1 8 10,  and  was  the  father  of  one  daughter 
and  five  sons,  all  of  whom  became  Mormons. 
David,  as  we  have  seen,  was  one  of  the  three, 
the  other  four  sons  were  of  the  eight,  while 
the  daughter  was  the  wife  of  another  one  of 
them,  Hiram  Page.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  testimony  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  comes 
from  the  Smith  and  Whitmer  families,  togeth- 
er with  Oliver  Cowdery  and  Martin  Harris. 
David  Whitmer  was  born  in  1805,  and  came 
with  his  family  to  Fayette  in  18 10.     Among 

the  many  stories  about  David  is  one  told  by 
66 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

the  Rev.  Diedrlch  Wlllers,  who  for  more  than 
fifty  years  was  pastor  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,  Fayette,  and  who  knew  the 
Whitmers  Intimately.  Smith  and  some  of  his 
associates  had  placed  a  wooden  image  in  a 
tree  in  a  field  where  one  of  the  Whitmers  was 
plowing,  and  when  asked  if  he  had  seen  an 
angel  he  said  he  had.  "Then,"  said  Smith, 
"this  is  the  place  where  the  Book  of  Mormon 
must  be  completed,  since  the  angel  has  already 
appeared  eleven  times,  and  it  has  been  reveal- 
ed to  me  that  at  the  place  of  the  twelfth 
appearing  of  the  angel  the  book  must  be  com- 
pleted." Hence  the  Whitmers'  home  became 
the  headquarters  of  Smith  and  his  friends. 
Other  stories  were  current  about  David  for 
many  years  which  make  it  plain  that  he  was  a 
trustful  unsuspecting,  superstitious  soul,  easily 
imposed  upon,  the  tool  of  Smith  and  not  an 
intentional  deceiver. 

Martin  Harris,  of  whom  we  have  already 
written,  was  the  third  witness.     He  is  said 
67 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

to  have  been  by  turns  "a  Quaker,  a  Univer- 
sallst,  a  Restorationlst,  a  Baptist,  and  a  Pres- 
byterian. He  was  also  known  as  a  violent, 
quarrelsome  man,  and  used  frequently  to  whip 
and  kick  his  wife,  and  put  her  out  of  doors, 
as  she  herself  testified.  He  said  that  he  had 
often  talked  with  Jesus  Christ,  angels  and  the 
devil,  and  said  that  Christ  was  the  handsom- 
est man  he  ever  saw,  and  the  devil  looked  like 
a  jackass  with  very  short  smooth  hair  similar 
to  that  of  a  mouse.  He  also  asserted  that  he 
had  visited  the  moon."  Linn  suggests  that  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  establish  his  sanity 
in  a  surrogate's  court. 

After  the  removal  to  Kirtland,  Harris  be- 
came boastful  and  arrogant,  and  assumed  the 
role  of  a  prophet.  He  attempted  to  work 
miracles,  had  frequent  and  exciting  conflicts 
with  the  devil,  and  boasted  that  he  would 
renew  his  youth  and  be  translated  like  Elijah. 
Poor  old  man  I  he  had  given  his  property  to 
the  Church,  that  is  Smith,  his  tongue  was  now 
68 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

a  nuisance,  it  was  bringing  discredit  upon  the 
Church,  and  Joe  had  a  very  effective  way  of 
taming  other  people's  tongues  whenever  it  was 
necessary  for  the  good  of  the  cause.  In  the 
changes  from  Ohio  to  Missouri,  Martin  and 
Joe  quarrelled,  and  in  1837,  Joe  thus  denounc- 
ed his  third  witness;  ''There  are  negroes  who 
have  white  skins,  as  well  as  black  ones. 
Granny  Parish  and  others,  who  acted  as 
lackeys,  such  as  Martin  Harris.  But  they  are 
so  far  beneath  my  contempt  that  to  notice  any 
of  them  would  be  too  great  a  sacrifice  for  a 
gentleman  to  make."  Harris  remained  for 
many  years  in  Ohio,  haunting  the  old  temple, 
and  making  his  living  as  best  he  could.  The 
end  is  told  by  his  son  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy, dated,  Louisville,  Bingham  County, 
Idaho,  February  28,  1888;  "Notwithstanding 
his  prominence  in  the  Church,  and  the  Im- 
portant aid  he  had  given  it,  he  and  the  other 
witnesses  became  careless  and  indifferent  in 
the  Church,  and  actually  allowed  themselves 
69 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

to  fall  from  grace,  and  separated  themselves 
from  it  for  many  years."  (A  mild  way  of 
stating  the  fact  that  the  three  were  excom- 
municated by  Joe  or  Brigham.)  "My  father 
while  separated  from  the  Church,  remained 
in  Ohio;  but,  nevertheless,  he  always  bore  a 
true  and  faithful  testimony  of  the  divine 
origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  He  came  to 
Salt  Lake  in  1870,  and  renewed  his  fellow- 
ship with  the  Mormon  Church.  He  died  in 
Clarkson,  Cache  County,  Utah,  July  10,  1875. 
He  was  ninety-two  years,  one  month,  and 
twenty-two  days  old.  He  bore  his  testimony  to 
the  truth  and  divinity  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon a  short  time  before  he  departed,  and  the 
last  words  he  uttered  when  he  could  not  speak 
the  sentence,  were,  *Book,  Book,  Book  I'  " 

The  story  of  the  vision  granted  these  three 
men  in  company  with  Joe  is  too  long  to  be 
told  in  detail.  Like  almost  everything  else 
connected  with  these  early  visions  and  revela- 
tions it  was  not  written  down  till  years  after 
70 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

it  was  alleged  to  have  happened,  and  exists  in 
various  versions.  It  is  said  to  have  occurred 
while  they  were  engaged  in  "fervent  and 
humble  prayer*'  that  they  might  receive  a  ful- 
fillment of  the  revelation  and  have  a  view  of 
the  plates,  and  the  answer  came  in  the  woods 
near  Fayette.  But  before  it  was  granted  Joe 
had  the  revelation  already  mentioned  promis- 
ing them  this  vision,  and  of  course  it  was  soon 
granted. 

It  is  then  upon  these  men  and  such  testi- 
mony that  the  immense  structure  of  Mormon- 
ism  rests.  Was  there  ever  such  a  colossal 
building  erected  upon  such  an  absolutely 
valueless  foundation  ?  Kennedy  well  sums  up 
the  matter  in  his  pamphlet  already  quoted; 
"This,  then,  is  the  testimony  upon  which  so 
much  has  been  built,  around  which  so  much 
of  wonder,  or  belief,  or  doubt,  has  been  clus- 
tered. How  much  of  truth,  how  much  of 
falsehood  and  fraud,  how  much  of  wilful  de- 
ception and  willing  delusion,  of  overwrought 
71 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

imagination,  of  mesmeric  influence,  of  the 
weaker  minds  ruled  by  the  strong,  of  spiritual 
vision  put  forward  as  representing  the  out- 
ward eye — there  may  be  in  this,  each  seeker 
after  knowledge  must  discover  for  himself — 
for  no  man  within  Mormonism,  or  without, 
can  tell,  and  the  four  who  best  knew  are  gone 
into  the  shadows  where  the  voice  of  the  de- 
ceiver is  hushed  with  that  of  the  deceived,  and 
from  whence  cometh  no  knowledge — either 
of  confirmation  or  confession." 


72 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Book  of  Mormon  and  the   Doc- 
trines AND  Covenants 

^^UR  final  inquiry  is  regarding  the  con- 
tents and  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
According  to  Mormon  there  were  three 
migrations  from  the  far  East  to  America: 
I.  Of  Jared  and  his  family,  soon  after  the 
flood,  and  connected  with  the  dispersion  at 
the  tower  of  Babel.  2.  Of  Lehi  and  others, 
of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  from  Jeru- 
salem, when  Zedekiah  was  king,  about  600 
B.  C.  3.  Eleven  years  later,  of  more  Israe- 
lites. Both  the  Nephites  and  the  Lamanites 
(Indians)  were  descendants  of  these  last  two. 
These  two  nations  multiplied  and  peopled  the 
land,  and  spent  much  of  their  time  fighting 
one  another.  At  length  the  Lamanites  pre- 
73 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

vailed  over  the  Nephites,  and  the  latter  were 
practically  annihilated  at  the  hill  Cumorah, 
200,000  of  them  being  slain,  and,  as  already 
related.  Mormon  surviving  only  long  enough 
to  complete  the  sacred  records.  The  book 
contains,  also,  an  account  of  the  visit  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  America,  soon  after  the  resurrec- 
tion, when  he  repeated  the  sermon  on  the 
mount  and  other  of  His  previous  instructions, 
and  added  much  more,  concerning  baptism, 
church  officers,  etc.,  completing  His  earlier 
revelations,  and  preparing  the  way  for  the 
twelve  American  apostles  and  the  Church  of 
Latter  Day  Saints.  The  book  contains  nearly 
as  much  printer's  matter  as  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and,  aside  from  its  large  quotations 
from  the  Bible,  all  these  quotations  are  said 
to  be  taken  from  the  King  James'  version 
without  any  change — is  wearisome  and  repeti- 
tious and  puerile,  not  to  use  stronger  lan- 
guage. Few,  even  among  the  Mormons,  are 
said  to  have  read  it  through. 
74 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

But  the  Bible  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  are 
not  the  chief  sacred  books  of  the  Church.  The 
first  place  is  held  by  The  Book  of  Doctrines 
and  Covenants,  "a  book  of  Revelations  given 
as  necessity  demanded  for  the  comfort  and 
guidance  of  the  servants  of  God  and  for  the 
Church."  (Brief  History  of  Mormonism,  p. 
30.)  The  Old  Testament  is  for  the  Jewish 
Church,  the  New  Testament  for  the  Judaic 
and  European  Christian  Church,  the  Book  of 
Mormon  for  the  American  Christian  Church, 
and  the  Book  of  Doctrines  and  Covenants  for 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints.  This  is  the  guide  book  of  the  Church. 
It  contains  the  revelations  granted  to  Joe, 
and  one  only  to  Brigham.  It  is  a  childish, 
heathenish,  blasphemous  hodge  podge.  Ac- 
cording to  David  Whitmer,  "after  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  finished, 
early  in  the  spring  of  1830,  before  April  6th, 
Joseph  gave  the  stone  to  Oliver  Cowdery  and 
told  me  as  well  as  the  rest  that  he  was  through 
75 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

with  it,  and  he  did  not  use  the  stone  any  more. 
.  .  .  He  told  us  that  we  would  all  have  to 
depend  on  the  Holy  Ghost  hereafter  to  be 
guided  into  truth  and  obtain  the  will  of  the 
Lord."  (P.  32.)  But  Joe  insisted  on  being 
the  mouthpiece  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  as 
Whitmer  further  says,  ^'Rigdon  would  per- 
suade Brother  Joseph  to  inquire  of  the  Lord 
about  this  doctrine  and  that  doctrine,  and  of 
course  a  revelation  would  always  come  just 
as  they  desired  it."  (P.  35.)  This  is  Whit- 
mer's  explanation  of  the  fall  of  the  prophet: 
"We  were  then  young  in  years  and  all  of  us 
were  babes  in  Christ.  Brother  Joseph  and 
myself  were  only  twenty-five  years  of  age." 
The  poor  old  man  has  another  explanation 
also.  In  connection  with  his  mistakes  in  re- 
gard to  the  printing  and  sale  of  the  first  edi- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Joe  had  a 
revelation:  "Some  revelations  are  of  God, 
some  revelations  are  of  man,  and  some  revela- 
tions are  of  the  devil."  And  so  Whitmer 
76 


The  birth  of  mormonisM 

rings  the  changes  on  these  words  as  a  reason 
for  rejecting  much  of  Joe's  later  revelations. 
Surely,  Moroni  took  upon  himself  an  awful 
responsibility  in  choosing  such  a  babe  as  the 
medium  for  the  last  and  highest  revelations 
which  man  is  to  receive,  when  there  Is  so  much 
uncertainty  as  to  the  origin  of  revelations. 
One  more  of  these  revelations  I  must  quote, 
It  Is  so  unique  and  Important:  *'When  a  mes- 
senger comes,  saying  he  has  a  message  from 
God,  offer  him  your  hand,  and  request  him  to 
shake  hands  with  you.  If  he  be  an  angel  he 
will  do  so,  and  you  will  feel  his  hand.  .  .  . 
If  it  be  the  devil,  as  an  angel  of  light;  when 
you  ask  him  to  shake  hands,  he  will  offer  you 
his  hand  and  you  will  not  feel  anything.  You 
may  therefore  detect  him."  (Doctrines  and 
Covenants,  Sec.  129.  The  whole  section  is  a 
choice  bit.) 

Revelations    came    in    other    ways,    even 
through  the  brothers  and  sisters.     While  at 
KIrtland  the  speaking  with  tongues  became  a 
77 


Th£  birth  of  mormonism 

common  exercise.  Any  one  called  upon  would 
rise  and  speak  whatever  words  or  sounds  came 
to  him ;  then  another  would  rise  and  interpret 
the  tongues.  Interpreters  became  very  expert 
in  this  business,  as  is  illustrated  by  the  follow- 
ing authentic  story,  told  by  Lieut.  Gunnison : 
"A  certain  boy  had  become  such  an  expert 
that  he  was  called  upon  by  the  elders  to  inter- 
pret difficult  sayings.  On  one  occasion,  when 
a  woman  arose  suddenly  in  the  meeting  and 
called  out,  'O,  mela,  meli,  melee,*  the  lad  was 
requested  to  reduce  the  exclamation  to  Eng- 
lish. He  promptly  gave  the  translation,  'O, 
my  leg,  my  thigh,  my  knee,'  and  even  when 
the  angry  and  disgusted  elders  had  him  be- 
fore the  council,  he  persisted  that  he  had  given 
the  right  translation.  As  the  woman  herself 
did  not  know  what  she  had  been  aiming  at, 
they  were  compelled  to  give  him  an  admoni- 
tion and  let  him  go."     (Kennedy,  p.  117.) 

But  whence  came  this  mass  of  bad  grammar 
and  worse  history  contained  in  the  Book  of 

78 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMON  ISM 

Mormon?  Is  Joe  Smith  the  author?  Of 
course  Mormons  say  no.  "It  was  written," 
says  Whitmer,  "by  holy  men  of  God,  who 
dwelt  upon  this  land."  (P.  37.)  But  what 
say  the  Gentiles?  What  says  history?  No 
absolute  answer  can  be  given.  The  actors 
who  knew  have  all  passed  away,  the  records 
are  defective,  but  reasonable  certainty  may  be 
attained. 

It  is  impossible  here  to  do  more  than  give 
a  brief  summary  of  this  part  of  our  story. 
Others  have  gathered  the  evidence  with  the 
greatest  care.  Solomon  Spaulding,  born  In 
1 76 1,  graduated  from  Dartmouth  in  1785, 
ordained  to  the  ministry  and  a  Congregational 
pastor  for  a  time,  till  failing  health  led  him 
into  business,  settled  at  Salem  (now  Conne- 
aut),  Ohio,  before  18 12,  as  a  partner  in  an 
iron  foundry,  financially  ruined  by  the  war  of 
18 12,  greatly  interested  in  the  Indians,  and 
especially  in  the  mounds  near  his  home,  which 
then  and  even  to  our  own  day  were  believed 
79 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

to  be  the  remains  of  a  people  distinct  from  the 
Indians,  wrote  a  romance,  so  called,  entitled 
"The  Manuscript  Found,"  in  which  he  at- 
tempted to  give  an  account  of  the  peopling 
of  this  continent  from  Jerusalem.  He  was 
very  fond  of  his  story,  and  often  read  it  in 
whole  or  in  part  to  his  neighbors.  There  is 
,  evidence  that  the  story  contained  the  names 
Mormon,  Moroni,  Lamanlte,  Nephi,  etc. 
Spaulding  tried  to  get  a  Pittsburgh  printer  to 
publish  it.  It  remained  in  his  office  for  some 
time,  and  then  Mr.  Patterson  declined  to 
undertake  the  job.  Spaulding  died  at  Amity, 
Pa.,  1816.  His  widow  removed  to  this  State, 
and  subsequently  married.  The  celebrated 
manuscript  traveled  with  her.  After  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  many  people 
noted  the  striking  resemblances  between  it  and 
this  Spaulding  story.  There  is  good  evidence 
that  during  the  preceding  years  Smith,  Rig- 
don,   Cowdery,   and  possibly  others  of  the 

Mormon  converts,  had  seen  the  manuscript 
80 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

or  heard  the  story  told. 

Among  the  early  professed  converts  to 
Mormonism  was  Dr.  D.  P.  Hurlburt,  "a  man 
of  good  address  and  fine  personal  appear- 
ance.'* He  was  sent  by  a  committee,  so  he 
represented,  to  ask  Mrs.  Spaulding's  per- 
mission to  take  the  "Manuscript  Found"  to 
Conneaut  to  compare  it  with  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and,  of  course  demonstrate  that  the 
latter  had  no  connection  with  it.  He  was 
evidently  familiar  with  the  history  of  the 
manuscript.  He  went  first  to  Mr.  William 
H.  Sabine,  of  Onondaga  Valley,  a  celebrated 
lawyer  and  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Spaulding,  now 
Mrs.  Davison,  and  with  whom  she  had  lived 
for  a  time,  and  where  Joseph  Smith  had 
worked,  and  secured  from  Mr.  Sabine  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  Mrs.  Davison,  containing 
also  a  request  that  she  should  comply  with  the 
request  of  Dr.  Hurlburt.  With  this  the  doc- 
tor went  to  Munson,  Mass.,  where  Mrs. 
Davison  was  living  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
8i 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

McKinstry.  Both  mother  and  daughter  mis- 
trusted him,  and  at  first  refused  his  request. 
But  Hurlburt  was  plausible  and  persuaded 
them  at  last  to  give  him  a  letter  to  Jerome 
Clark,  Hartwick,  N.  Y.,  her  former  home, 
who  had  charge  of  her  goods,  to  deliver  into 
the  hands  of  Dr.  Hurlburt  the  manuscript  of 
the  famous  story.  This  was  done  on  his 
solemn  promise  to  return  it  to  Mrs.  Davison. 
She  never  saw  the  manuscript  again.  Repeat- 
ed requests  were  made  of  Hurlburt  to  return 
it,  but  he  never  paid  the  least  attention  to 
vher.  It  was  currently  reported  that  he  sold 
the  manuscript  to  the  Mormons  in  1834,  and 
with  the  proceeds  purchased  the  farm  near 
Fremont,  Ohio,  upon  which  he  continued  to 
reside  till  his  death  in  1882.  Mrs.  Ellen  E. 
Dickinson,  in  her  "New  Light  on  Mormon- 
ism,"  relates  at  length  an  interview  with  Hurl- 
burt, which  she  had  in  1880.  (See  Chap. 
V.)      The   whole   impression   is   unpleasant. 

Hurlburt's  answers  are  inconsistent;  he  seems 
82 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

to  desire  to  conceal  the  truth  or  to  mislead 
concerning  it,  rather  than  tell  it.  Among 
other  things  he  said  that  the  manuscript  he 
obtained  from  Mr.  Clark  was  given  to  Mr. 
Howe,  of  Painesville,  author  of  "Mormonism 
Unveiled,"  published  in  1835,  but  that  Howe 
burned  it.  Even  here,  however,  he  stumbled 
more  than  once.  "Do  you  think,"  asked  Mrs. 
Dickinson,  "Solomon  Spaulding  wrote  the 
story  from  which  the  Mormons  made  their 
book?"  "Yes;  and  no  question  about  it," 
was  the  answer.  "Well,  then,  where  is  the 
manuscript?"  "I  think  it  was  copied  by  Rig- 
don,  and  he  kept  the  original,  and  Mrs.  Davi-  • 
son  had  the  copy."  But  when  assured  that 
Mrs.  Davison  was  certain  that  she  had  the 
original  manuscript  of  her  husband's  story, 
he  seemed  confused,  made  various  inconsistent 
statements,  and  practically  declared  the  in- 
terview ended. 

Subsequently,   Mrs.  Dickinson  had  an  in- 
terview with  Mr.  Howe,  but  it  was  far  from 
83 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

satisfactory.  She  asked  him,  however,  this 
question,  "Do  you  think  Spaulding  wrote  a 
story  from  which  Rigdon  and  Smith  made  the 
Book  of  Mormon?''  "Certainly,  I  do,"  was 
his  positive  answer. 

Here  we  must  rest  this  part  of  our  story. 
The  evidence  seems  to  point  to  this  conclu- 
sion: That  the  so-called  historical  parts  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  not  borrowed  from 
Scripture,  are  taken  from  Solomon  Spauld^ 
•  ing's  story,  and  that  the  borrowing,  or  com- 
pilation, or  adaptation  was  chiefly  done  by 
Sidney  Rigdon.  Rigdon  was  a  minister  of 
the  Disciples'  Church,  at  least  this  was  his 
standing  just  before  he  became  a  Mormon, 
an  ill-balanced,  conceited,  extravagant  char- 
acter. He  was  a  secret  visitor  to  Joseph  at 
Palmyra,  when  Mormonism  was  preparing. 
There  is  probable  evidence  that  he  had  a 
copy  of  Spaulding's  romance  as  early  as  1823, 
and  studied  it  much ;  that  he  was  aware  of  the 
forthcoming  new  religion;  expressed  himself 
84 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

as  dissatisfied  with  the  faith  he  then  had — a 
common  condition  with  the  early  Mormons — 
and  did  much  to  prepare  the  way  for  his  own 
spectacular  conversion  to  Mormonism  and  for 
the  coming  of  the  Palmyra  prophet.  (For  a 
full  account  of  this  whole  question  as  to  the 
relation  of  the  Book  of  Mprmon  to  Spauld- 
ing's  romance,  and  Sidney  Rigdon's  part  in  it, 
see  Patterson's  pamphlet,  "Who  Wrote  the 
Book  of  Mormon,"  Pittsburg,  1882.) 

A  writer  in  the  Ohio  Atlas,  March  16, 
1836,  tells  the  story  of  his  visit  to  Kirtland 
and  says:  "I  have  no  doubt  that  Joe 
Smith's  character  is  an  equal  compound  of  the 
impostor  and  the  fanatic,  and  that  Rigdon 
has  but  a  small  spice  of  the  latter,  with  an 
extraordinary  portion  of  the  former."  (Ken- 
nedy, p.  136.)  At  the  conclusion  of  this 
study,  I  would  underscore  this  summary  of 
the  character  of  the  biggest  impostor  that 
America  has  yet  produced. 

The  Christian  people  of  the  United  States 
85 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

have  yet  to  be  awakened  to  the  real  character 
and  design  of  Mormonism.  Polygamy  Is 
but  an  incident  in  its  infamous  teachings.  It 
is  a  vile,  heathenish,  blasphemous,  despotism, 
without  one  redeeming  feature.  Its  entire 
extinction  presents  one  of  the  greatest  prob- 
lems which  confronts  our  Christian  civiliza- 
tion. Is  twentieth  century  Christianity  strong 
and  wise  enough  to  conquer  it?  We  shall 
see.  It  must  do  it  for  the  safety  of  republican 
government. 


86 


APPENDICES 


Authorities  Used  in  the  Preparation 
OF  "The  Birth  of  Mormonism" 


MORMON 

1.  "A  Brief  History  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints.  George 
Q.  Cannon  and  Sons  Co.,  Publishers,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  1899."  This  was  specially 
commended  to  the  writer  by  The  Deseret 
News. 

2.  "Life  of  Joseph  Smith  by  George  Q. 
Cannon,"  finished,  as  the  Preface  states,  when 
the  author  was  in  the  Utah  Penitentiary, 
1888.     It  is  the  official  Life  of  the  prophet, 

87 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

arid  in  rhetoric  and  historical  accuracy  is 
hardly  equal  to  the  tales  of  Baron  Munchau- 
sen. 

3.  "The  Book  of  Mormon,"  Salt  Lake 
City,  1 89 1. 

4.  "The  Doctrines  and  Covenants  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints, 
Containing  the  Revelations  Given  to  Joseph 
Smith,  Jun.,  The  Prophet,  for  the  Building  up 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  Last  Days. 
Divided  into  Verses,  with  References,  by 
Orson  Pratt,  Sen.  Salt  Lake  City,  The 
Deseret  News,  Printers  and  Publishers, 
1911." 

5.  "An  Address  to  all  Believers  in  Christ, 
by  David  Whitmer,  Richmond,  Mo.,  1887." 
Whitmer  after  being  expelled  from  the 
original  Church  founded  the  "Whitmerites," 
and  this  is  his  final  defence  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

6.  "Mormonism:  Its  Leaders  and  De- 
signs.   By  John  Hyde,  Jr.,  Formerly  a  Mor- 

88 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

mon  Elder  and  Resident  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
New  York,  1857."  Placed  here  though  by 
an  ex- Mormon. 


II 


GENTILE 

I.  "Origin  and  Progress  of  Mormonism, 
by  Pomeroy  Tucker.  D.  Appleton  and  Co., 
1867."  Mr.  Tucker  was  for  many  years 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Wayne  County 
Sentinel,  Palmyra,  N.  Y. ;  he  was  its  editor 
when  the  first  edition  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  printed  in  his  office,  and  read  most 
of  the  proof.  He  knew  nearly  all  of  the 
early  actors  in  the  story,  and  had  unusual 
opportunity  for  knowing  the  inside  history. 
Mr.  Tucker  lived  in  Palmyra  till  his  death  at 
the  age  of  92.  His  book  has  long  been  out 
of  print,  but  every  subsequent  writer  has  been 
largely  indebted  to  it,  and  his  statement  of 
89 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

facts  has  in  the  main  stood  the  test  of  time 
and  the  work  of  later  investigators. 

2.  /'New  Light  on  Mormonism,  by  Mrs. 
Ellen  F.  Dickinson,  1885."  Valuable  for  its 
study  of  the  relation  between  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing's  story  and  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

3.  "Who  Wrote  the  Book  of  Mormon? 
By  Robert  Patterson.  1882."  An  out-of- 
print  pamphlet,  investigating  the  relation  be- 
tween Spaulding's  story  and  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, but  altogether  too  dogmatic  in  its  con- 
clusions. 

4.  "The  Three  Witnesses  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  An  Address  before  the  Oneida 
Historical  Society,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  27, 
1890,  by  James  Harrison  Kennedy."  An- 
other out-of-print  pamphlet,  containing  the 
fullest  account  of  the  three  witnesses.  It  is 
of  great  value. 

5.  "Early  Days  of  Mormonism,  by  James 

Harrison  Kennedy,  1888."     One  of  the  best 

books  on  the  subject.    It  adds  much  to  Tuck- 
90 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

er's,  and  is  better  written  and  arranged. 

6.  "The  Story  of  the  Mormons.  From 
the  Date  of  their  Origin  to  the  Year  1901. 
By  William  Alexander  Linn.  1902."  The 
most  complete,  and,  on  the  whole,  the  best 
history  of  the  whole  movement. 

7.  "The  Founder  of  Mormonism.  A  Psy- 
chological Study  of  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  by 
I.  Woodb ridge  Riley.  1902."  A  valuable 
book,  but  revealing  at  times  a  lack  of  his- 
torical thoroughness. 

8.  Various  general  histories,  many  news- 
paper, review  and  cyclopedia  articles,  the  lat- 
ter almost  always  more  or  less  inaccurate ;  also 
certain  rare  papers  and  pamphlets,  which  were 
then  owned  by  Dr.  Charles  Foster,  an  ex- 
Mormon,  who  knew  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  well. 
Among  them  was  a  copy  of  The  Nauvoo 
Expositor,  bearing  date,  June  7,  1844,  and 
the  only  number  ever  printed.  During  the 
riots  which  preceded  Smith's  murder,  the 
office  of  the  paper  was  destroyed,  the  types 

91 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

thrown  into  the  street,  and  every  copy  printed 
upon  which  the  Mormon  authorities  could 
lay  their  hand  destroyed  and  this  by  order  of 
Smith.  The  Church  would  gladly  secure  the 
—  very  few  copies  still  in  existence.  This  ma- 
terial did  not  add  much  to  the  facts  gathered 
from  other  sources,  but  they  gave  some  local 
color  and  corroborated  some  facts.  Dr.  Fos- 
ter, with  his  brother,  also  a  physician,  and 
much  the  older,  was  living  at  Nauvoo  at  the 
time  of  Smith's  death,  and  they  were  directly 
concerned  in  the  troubles  which  culminated  in 
Smith's  murder.  Hyde  tells  the  story  thus; 
"Joseph  Smith  lost  his  life  entirely  through 
attempting  to  persuade  a  Mrs.  Dr.  Foster,  at 
Nauvoo,  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  she 
should  become  his  ^spiritual  wife;'  not  to  the 
exclusion  of  her  husband.  Dr.  Foster,  but  only 
to  become  his  in  time  for  eternity  I  This 
nefarious  offer  she  confessed  to  her  husband. 
Some  others  of  a  similar  nature  were  dis- 
covered and  Dr.  Foster,  William  Law,  and 
92 


The  birth  of  mormonism 

others  began  to  expose  Smith.  Their  paper 
was  burned,  type  and  press  demolished,  for 
which  Smith  was  arrested  and  afterwards 
shot,  by  Missourians,  at  Carthage,  111."  (Page 
85.)  The  first  part  of  this  statement  is  prob- 
ably true,  for  such  an  infamous  offer  was 
made  to  more  than  one  woman  in  Nauvoo, 
but  this  was  only  a  part  of  the  trouble,  and 
Smith  would  probably  have  lost  his  life  if 
these  offers  had  not  been  made.  It  was  men 
from  Illinois,  not  Missouri,  who  shot  him. 
So  far  as  the  writer  could  learn,  the  Fosters 
were  not  believers  in  Mormonism  as  a  re- 
ligion, but  they  saw  in  it  a  chance  for  busi- 
ness and  to  make  some  money. 

B 

THE  NAUVOO  EXPOSITOR 

In  the  list  of  authorities  reference  has  been 

made  to  THE  NAUVOO  EXPOSITOR. 

The  copy  which  the  writer  was  privileged  to 

examine  has  since  been  lost.     Probably  there 

93 


The  BIkTH  OF  MORMONISM 

are  not  half  a  dozen  copies  of  the  paper  in 
existence.  It  is  so  important  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  Mormonism  that  certain  extracts  and 
notes  made  when  the  paper  was  examined  are 
thought  worthy  of  being  here  preserved. 

Its  motto  was,  *'The  Truth,  the  Whole 
Truth,  and  Nothing  but  the  Truth,"  and  its 
one  issue  is  dated,  "Friday,  June  7,  1844. 
Vol.  I,  No.  I."  Its  publishers  were,  William 
Law,  Wilson  Law,  (brothers),  Charles  Ivins, 
Francis  M.  Higbec,  Chauncey  L.  Hughes, 
Robert  D.  Foster,  Charles  A.  Foster,  (broth- 
ers;) its  editor  Sylvester  Emmons.  Some 
of  these  men,  as  already  said  of  the  Fos- 
ters, were  not  believers  in  Mormonism  as  a 
religion,  but  were  in  it  as  a  business  proposi- 
tion. 

Nearly  six  columns  of  the  paper  were  oc- 
cupied with  the  "Preamble,  Resolutions  and 
Affidavits,  of  the  Seceders  from  the  Church 
at  Nauvoo."  It  is  wordy,  verbose,  grandi- 
loquent. The  Laws,  with  the  assistance  of 
94 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

Dr.  R.  D.  Foster,  were  probably  its  authors. 

They  affirm  their  faith  in  Mormonism. 
"We  all  verily  believe,  and  many  of  us  know 
of  a  surety,  that  the  Religion  of  the  Latter 
Day  Saints,  as  originally  taught  by  Joseph 
Smith,  which  is  contained  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  Book  of  Covenants,  and  Book  of 
Mormon,  is  verily  true;  and  that  the  pure 
principles  set  forth  in  those  books,  are  the 
immutable  and  eternal  principles  of  heaven, 
and  speaks  a  language  which,  when  spoken  in 
truth  and  virtue,  sinks  deep  into  the  heart  of 
every  man."  The  inconsistency  of  this  affirma- 
tion with  what  follows  about  Smith,  in  view 
of  Smith's  relation  to  this  religion,  will  not 
escape  the  reader. 

There  follows  a  long  tirade  against  the 
prophet.  Some  of  the  doctrines  "taught 
secretly,  and  denied  openly,"  arc  "heretical 
and  damnable  in  their  influence,  though  they 
find  many  devotees."  They  had  appealed  to 
Joseph,  but  while  admitting  his  guilt,  he  would 
95 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

not  make  public  acknowledgment  of  his  sins; 
"he  would  rather  be  damned,  for  it  would 
detract  from  his  dignity,  and  would  conse- 
quently ruin  and  prove  the  overthrow  of  the 
Church.  We  would  ask  him  on  the  other 
hand,  if  the  overthrow  of  the  Church  was  not 
inevitable,  to  which  he  often  replied,  that  we 
would  all  go  to  hell  together,  and  convert  it 
into  a  heaven,  by  casting  the  devil  out;  and 
says  he.  Hell  is  by  no  means  the  place  this 
world  of  fools  suppose  it  to  be,  but  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  quite  an  agreeable  place :  to 
which  we  would  make  no  reply,  he  can  enjoy 
it  if  he  is  determined  not  to  desist  from  his 
evil  ways;  but  as  for  us,  and  ours,  we  will 
serve  the  Lord  our  God." 

This  is  followed  by  another  long  account 
of  the  way  in  which  many  females,  "allured  by 
fair  promises  from  many  lands,  have  been 
brought  to  Nauvoo,  and  then  under  oaths  the 
most  solemn  and  alleged  revelations  from  God 
through  the  prophet  and  others,  are  taught 
96 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

the  doctrine  of  'Spiritual  Wifery'  to  their  de- 
struction— in  words  which  cannot  be  quoted 
here." 

The  next  important  item  in  their  charge  is 
against  "the  attempt  at  political  power  and 
influence,"  which  they  characterize  as  ''pre- 
posterous and  absurd." 

Among  "the  many  items  of  false  doctrine" 
which  they  condemn  and  "that  are  taught  by 
the  Church"  is  "the  doctrine  of  many  Gods." 
With  reference  to  this  latter  doctrine,  it  must 
be  remembered  that  in  the  Revelation  regard- 
ing the  "Plurality  of  Wives,"  "Given  through 
Joseph,  the  Seer,  in  Nauvoo,  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, Illinois,  July  12,  1843,"  (see  Sec.  132, 
Doctrines  and  Covenants)  and  which  "all 
those  who  have  this  law  revealed  unto  them 
must  obey  the  same;  .  .  .  for  no  one 
can  reject  this  covenant,  and  be  permitted  to 
enter  into  my  glory;"  it  is  asserted  that  those 
who  enter  into  plural  marriages,  according  to 
the  law  laid  down,  "shall  be  Gods,  because 
97 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

they  have  no  end;  .  .  .  because  they 
have  all  power,  and  the  angels  are  subject 
unto  them.'* 

The  seventh  resolution  reads ;  'That  we  dis- 
countenance and  disapprobate  the  attendance 
at  houses  of  revelling  and  dancing;  dram 
shops  and  theatres ;  verily  believing  that  they 
have  a  tendency  to  lead  from  paths  of  virtue 
and  holiness,  to  those  of  vice  and  debauchery." 

The  affidavits  of  William  Law  and  Jane 
his  wife,  and  Austin  Cowles,  first  counsellor 
to  the  president  of  the  Church,  made  the  4th 
of  May,  1844,  are  given,  that  they  had  read 
or  heard  read  a  paper  by  Hyrum  Smith,  pur- 
porting to  be  a  revelation  given  through 
Joseph  Smith,  teaching  "the  doctrine  of  a 
plurality  of  wives."  Again,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  prophet  continued  to  deny  the 
existence  of  such  a  revelation  after  the  official 
date  now  given  it,  though  the  evidence  is 
abundant  that  he  and  others  were  practising 
it. 

98 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

They  have  much  also  to  say  of  the  arbi- 
trary and  despotic  rule  of  Smith,  of  the  "In- 
quisition" that  he  has  established,  and  of  the 
risk  they  themselves  were  running  of  suffer- 
ing his  vengeance. 

An  editorial  repudiates  any  intention  of 
dealing  with  national  politics,  or  taking  sides 
with  either  Whig  or  Democrat;  ridicules  the 
pretensions  of  "the  party  in  our  midst,'*  who 
expects  "to  take  by  storm  the  presidential 
chair;"  announces  that  local  politics  will  be 
thoroughly  ventilated;  advocates  "a  radical 
reform  in  the  city  of  Nauvoo,  as  the  departure 
from  moral  rectitude,  and  the  abuse  of  power, 
have  become  intolerable;  and  asserts  that  they 
are  going  to  fight  the  thing  through  by  law- 
ful means,  and  will  defend  themselves  if  force 
is  used  against  them." 

The  editor  further  describes  the  party  in 
power  as  "Heaven  daring,  Hell  deserving, 
God  forsaken  villains." 

The  quotations  given  are  sufficient  to  Witi- 
99 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

rant  the  statement  already  made  that  Mor- 
monism  would  soon  have  fallen  to  pieces  and 
been  scattered  to  the  four  winds,  if  Smith  and 
his  friends  had  been  permitted  to  wield  their 
autocratic  power  for  a  while  longer.  But  his 
murder  stayed  the  process  of  disintegration 
and  death. 


A   CONTEMPORARY  DESCRIPTION  OF  JOSEPH 
SMITH,  JR. 

In  the  Saint  Louis  Weekly  Gazette,  May 
1 8,  1844,  there  appears  a  letter  dated,  Nau- 
voo,  April  26,  1844.  It  thus  begins;  "Joseph 
Smith,  Prophet,  Priest,  Prince  of  Mormon- 
dom  and  generalissimo  of  the  armies  of  the 
faithful!  To  this  high  and  mighty  magnifi- 
cate  had  I  the  honor  of  presentation,  on  the 
day  and  year  first  above  written."  The  party 
numbered  about  a  dozen,  and  after  seeing  the 
100 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

sights   of   the   city   were   presented   to   the 
prophet.     "One  of  our  company  professed 
himself  an  old  and  familiar  friend  of  the 
general,"  and  he  acted  as  the  chaperon  of  the 
party.    "My  first  impression  was  by  no  means 
satisfactory  to  myself  and  certainly  not  flatter- 
ing to  mine  host  .     .     .  Gen.  Smith  . 
is  in  stature  and  proportion  a  very  large  man; 
and  his  figure  would  probably  be  called  a  fine 
one,  although  by  no  means  distinguished  for 
symmetry  or  for  grace.     .     .     .     His  chest 
and  shoulders  are  broad  and  muscular,  al- 
though his  arms  and  hands  seemed  never  to 
have  been  developed  by  physical  toil,  and  the 
latter  are  quite  small  for  his  proportions.  His 
foot,  however,  is  massive  enough,  and  ex- 
tensive enough,  in  all  conscience,  to  make  up 
for  any  deficiency  in  his  hand.    The  shape  of 
his  head  is  a  very  oblong  oval — the  coronal 
region  high,  denoting  a  resolved  will — the 
basilar  and  occipital  full,  indicating  powerful 
impulses,  and  the  frontal  retreating  although 

lOI 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

the  region  devoted  by  Phrenologists  to  the 
organization  of  the  perceptive  powers  is  un- 
usually prominent.  .  .  .  His  forehead  is 
white,  without  a  furrow,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  small  facial  angle,  somewhat  symmetrical. 
His  hair  is  quite  light  and  fine — 
complexion  pale — cheeks  full — temperament 
evidently  sanguine — lips  thin  rather  than 
thick,  and  by  no  means  indicative  of  boldness 
or  decision  of  character.  .  .  .  But  the 
Prophet's  most  remarkable  feature  is  his  eye ; 
not  that  it  is  very  large,  or  very  bright — very 
thoughtful  or  very  restless — even  very  deep 
in  its  expression  or  location;  for  it  is  usually 
neither  of  these.  .  .  .  The  hue  is  light 
hazel,  and  it  is  shaded,  and,  at  times,  almost 
veiled,  by  the  longest,  thickest,  light  lashes 
you  ever  saw  belonging  to  a  man,  whatever 
the  facts  respecting  the  'dear  women.'  The 
brows  are,  also,  light  and  thick — indeed,  pre- 
cisely of  that  description  called  beetle-brow. 
The  expression  of  the  prophet's  eyes  when 

I02 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

half  closed  and  shaded  by  their  long  lashes, 
was  quite  as  crafty  as  I  ever  beheld.  .  .  . 
His  voice  is  low  and  soft,  and  his  smile  which 
is  frequent,  is  agreeable." 

In  another  letter  the  same  correspondent 
gives  a  long  account  of  his  meeting  Smith's 
mother,  who  showed  him  the  Egyptian  mum- 
mies, (which  is  another  ridiculous  claim  and 
fraud  of  Smith's)  told  him  who  they  were, 
and  exhibited  the  translations,  made  by  her 
son,  of  the  papyri  found  with  them.  He  con- 
fesses that  he  does  not  know  how  the  prophet 
came  into  the  possession  of  these  so-called 
"mummies."  Of  the  translation  he  says;  "Im- 
portant and  highly  interesting  incidents  in  the 
lives  of  the  patriarchs  of  Israel  and  the  mon- 
archs  of  Hebrew  history  are  read  from  these 
Egyptian  records." 

Two  editorial  notes;  "Our  correspondent 

at  Nauvoo  gives  rather  a  minute  description 

of   Gen.   Joseph   Smith.      Should   the   great 

Mormon  ever  find  himself  in  prison-bounds 
103 


The  bIrTh  of  mormonism 

which  he  probably  never  will — this  descrip- 
tion of  his  person  will  save  the  turnkey  some 
little  trouble,  if  he  chooses  to  avail  himself 
of  it,  for  his  prison  books." 

"A  petition  from  Joseph  Smith,  praying 
Congress  to  allow  him  to  raise  a  company  of 
volunteers,  for  the  protection  of  emigrants  to 
the  unsettled  territories  of  the  United  States, 
was  presented  in  the  House  by  Mr.  Semple 
of  Illinois  on  the  6th.    What  does  it  mean?" 


D 


ON  MORAL  CONDITIONS  IN  NAUVOO 

In  the  preceding  pages  reference  is  made 
to  the  awful  moral  conditions  at  Nauvoo.  In 
the  Warsaw  (Illinois)  Signal,  of  Nov.  26, 
1845,  is  a  letter  from  C.  Olney,  "elder  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints," 
entitled  ^'Spiritual  Wifery  at  Nauvoo  Ex- 
posed." He  tells  what  he  expected  to  find, 
104 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

and  then  says;  "I  found  Nauvoo  a  sink  of 
iniquity,  inhabited  by  a  people  whose  leaders 
are  whoremongers.  .  .  .  And  such  are 
the  men  influenced  by  such  passions,  who  have 
only  to  speak  the  word,  and  no  crime  is  too 
horrible,  no  act  however  mean  and  degrading, 
too  low  for  their  police,  as  they  are  called, 
to  perform  in  order  to  carry  out  the  designs 
of  their  superiors.  .  .  .  Profane  lan- 
guage is  in  common  use  with  all  classes."  He 
speaks  of  the  opposition  on  the  part  of  the 
Gentiles  and  does  not  seem  to  wonder  at  it, 
for  "I  have  heard  prominent  men  as  High 
Priests  and  Presiding  officers  say  that  if  a 
Gentile  comes  in  their  way  the  best  way  to 
do  is  to  put  him  *out  of  the  way'  as  quick  as 
possible."  Much  of  the  letter  is  too  plain  to 
re-produce  here.  It  comes  from  a  believer  in 
Mormonism,  but  reveals  a  depth  of  depravity 
and  wickedness  among  the  leaders  at  Nauvoo 
and  the  people  almost  beyond  belief.  He 
asserts  that  in  the  endowment  house  married 
105 


THE  BIRTH  OF  MORMONISM 

people  were  released  from  their  marriage 
vows  and  were  allowed  to  decide  whether  they 
would  continue  in  them  or  choose  other 
partners. 

There  is  much  more  material  giving  con- 
clusive proof  that  the  moral  conditions  and 
the  conduct  of  the  leaders  of  this  gigantic 
fraud  were  about  as  bad  as  in  any  Sodom  of 
history. 


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